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| From a queen to Qaidi No. 7402 is a political irony for Jayalalithaa | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 28: It is a case similar to the one in angling. When one starts angling one is not sure whether one will catch one fish or a load of them.It is what one has been finding in the political arena in India.
If Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,J.Jayalalithaa has been sentenced to four-year imprisonment on charges of corruption she is not a lone politician.There have been many in the past and the recent politicians convicted include Lalu Prasad Yadav in fodder scam and former Haryana Chief Minister,Om Prakash Chautala on charges of corrupt practices in recruitment of junior teachers.
A special court in Bangalore today sentenced Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to four-year imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 100 crore on her in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case.
Justice John Michael Cunha held Jayalalithaa guilty under Sections 109 and 120 (b) of the IPC and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income.
Jayalalithaa's close associates VK Sasikala, VN Sudhakaran and J Illavarasi, co-accused in the case, were also held guilty of the same charges and were sentenced to four-year simple imprisonment besides being slapped a fine of Rs 10 crore each.Jayalalitha is now a Qaidi number 7402 innnnnnnnnnnn in the prison.
During her first tenure as the CM (1991 to 1996), Jaya had accumulated assets worth Rs 66 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income.
Does it mean that Jayalalithaa has been the only politician and that too chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who has amassed wealth through dubious means ? Certainly not.
Over 15 senior political leaders,including Chief Ministers and ministers,have been convicted or against whom cases were filed in the courts.Among the prominent politicians who have been sentenced on faced charge sheets include Congress leaders Pratap Singh Kairon,former Panjab Chief Minister,another congress leader,C.K.Jaf fer Sheriff,Suresh Kalmadi,Jagir Kaur,P.Balakrishna Pillai,M.K.Kanimozi,A.Raj,Sukh Ram,P.V.Narasimha Rao,Y.S.Jganmohan,P.Vijayan,B.S.Yaddyurappa,Tota Singh.G.Janardhan Reddy,nd Vir Bhadra Singh.
Judged by the scale and size of many scams one cannot hoild these 15 to 20 politicians alone guilty of corruption.They are not the only political leaders who have indulged in corrupt practices.
There are many.And at times the Government has secretly carried out operation clean which was done to free the country from some corrupt leaders. And the then Congress leadership ousted three top leaders under what was called the Kamjraj Plan.Under the plan some senior Congress leaders were asked to quit as Chief Ministers so that they could strengthen the organization.It was a clever move initiated by Kamraj to ease out corrupt politicians in decent manner.And those who were axed under the Kamraj plan were Bakshi Ghulam Mohd.Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir,Pratap Singh Kairon and Biju Patnaik.
And if judicial activism besides Accountbility commissions,Vigilance bodies initiate a thorough probe into the working and assets of scores of politicians more political leaders may have to face a situation in which Jayalalithaa has found herself in.
And it is time politicians learn a lesson or two from Jayalalithaa, Om Prakash Chautala,Lalu Prasad Yadav,Kanimozi,A.Raja and others. |
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