Centre on witch hunting mode in West Bengal
The tussle between PM Narendra Modi and WB CM Mamata Banerjee has come to a very tricky point. Supreme Court has refused permission to arrest Kolkata Police Commissioner on charges of tampering with proof pertaining to Saradha Chit Funds scandal which has cheated lakhs of people amounting to huge money.
The court has said the Commissioner can appear before the CBI voluntarily pertaining to the enquiry. Mamata Banerjee has welcomed this decision. In some ways, the court has diplomatically given an earful to both centre and state.
In the last three days, West Bengal looked like it was in constitutional crisis. About 40 men from the CBI had entered the Kolkata Police Station, which prompted CM Mamata Banerjee to personally arrive at the station to defend the Commissioner of Police. She sat on a dharna and this led to matters being complicated. Except for left parties, rest of the political parties had supported Banerjee.
Supreme Court has ordered that the CBI enquiry should be conducted into the Saradha Chit Funds case which runs into several lakhs of thousands in 2014 itself. The BJP government sat on this matter for the longest time after assuming office and is planning to act now when its term is a mere four and half months in the centre. This is nothing but a political opportunism.
The Modi government has made a mockery of CBI while taking chief accused in this scam Trinamool leader Mukul Roy under their wings into BJP, and misusing autonomous institutions to act at their behest. This does not mean Mamata Banerjee is any innocent. Her leaders, supporters and seniors are part of this scandal. But this recent development is not limited to the scandal alone. There are clearly political calculations behind this.
Modi government has launched this raid with the intention of clinching 42 Lok Sabha seats in WB, in the upcoming elections. Mamata on the other hand used the hunger strike weapon against this assault, to emerge a shining star and a strong leader at that out of this incident.
Sangh Parivar which has been wanting to gain control over WB since long, has extended all support to Modi on this. Both Modi and Banerjee are leaders with authoritarian mindsets. They can sacrifice anybody for their political gains. Mamata used Maoists to finish off the CPM government in West Bengal.
She instigated people against Singur and Nandigram farmer uprising. After assuming power, she finished off senior Maoist leader Kishenji and other Naxal activists. Communist leaders are facing threats and assaults every day. Now Modi grew up imbibing the ideals of fascist outfit such as RSS. He is conditioned to have authoritarian views. Hence both cannot be defended.
After assuming power, Modi has been using premium investigative agency such as CBI to silence his political detractors. He used it against RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav who had turned into a stumbling block in Bihar. He sent CBI to the residences of Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal and Mulayam’s son’s residence. But he was smart enough not to send CBI to his own party members’ residences despite the fact that they have been instrumental in the mega Vyapam scandal that has claimed the lives of 20 persons so far. CBI didn’t go to check on Amit Shah’s son.
But the team was sent to Bengal. Not just that, Modi government’s conduct when it comes to the federal structure of the states and their rights is highly questionable. Right now West Bengal has escaped a constitutional crisis. But we need to see what happens in the future.
One thing is very clear from this. For anybody to escape corruption charges, the only route left is to join the BJP. This ensures safe exit from all the impending punishment. Trinamool leader Mukul Roy was facing serious charges and CBI had taken it up in 2015. But the investigation was dropped when Mukul Roy joined the BJP. Hemant Sharma of Assam was also in the same boat and he escaped inquiry since he joined the BJP.
In Karnataka, the mining mafia was safeguarded since they were in BJP. One of the prominent Congress politicians was forced to join BJP and he didn’t relent. Joining BJP is much like ‘bara khoon maaf’ instead of being declared innocent by the courts. Mamata Banerjee has challenged this since it is inevitable for her existence.
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Australia bundled out for 104 as India take 46-run first-innings lead
Perth (PTI): Pacer Jasprit Bumrah completed his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests as Australia were bundled out for 104 at lunch, losing the remaining three wickets in the morning session on Day 2 to give India a handy 46-run first-innings lead in the opening match here on Saturday.
For India, captain Jasprit Bumrah (5/30) was the pick of the bowlers while Mohammed Siraj (2/20) and debutant Harshit Rana (3/48) also chipped in.
It was a abject surrender from Australia, who could add just 37 runs to their overnight score of 67/7, thanks chiefly to tail-ender Mitchell Starc (26), who emerged the highest scorer for his side
Bumrah struck the first blow on Saturday, dismissing keeper-batter Alex Carey (21) off the first ball of his over as the Australian could add just two runs to his overnight score.
India were all out for 150 from 49.4 overs at the stroke of tea on Friday.
Brief Scores:
India: 150 all out in 49.4 overs vs Australia: 104 all out in 51.2 overs (Alex Carey 21, Mitchell Starc 26; Jasprit Bumrah 5/30, Harshit Rana 3/48, Mohammed Siraj 2/20).
