Ram Jethmalani at it again

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 21. After days of political unexcitment and with only the Prime Minister's wounded knee to talk about, the Capital's know-all-and-know-nothing class of self-appointed busy- bodies will have something to talk about: Mr. Ram Jethmalani's presumed revelations in his book, `Big Egos, Small Men,' to be released officially on Monday. That will be Mr. Vajpayee's first full working day in the capital, and Mr. Jethmalani's book is expected to create an artificial crisis for the ruling establishment. The city's self-appointed important crowd will be divided between the pro and anti-Jethmalani camps.

The former Law Minister, who had to leave the Cabinet under unceremonious circumstances, is believed to have said quite a mouthful about the Chief Justice of India, Dr. A.S. Anand, the Attorney-General, Mr. Soli Sorabjee and the Prime Minister himself. Probably Mr. Jethmalani's idea is to provoke a stand-off between the executive and the judiciary.

It is learnt that Mr. Jethmalani has repeated the allegation that Dr. A.S. Anand has under-reported his age. However, responsible persons believe that the former Minister's allegation has no basis and that there is enough documentary evidence to suggest that there is no cause for doubt about the Chief Justice's date of birth.

Mr. Jethmalani's observations, nonetheless, will provoke both the Bar and the Bench, though it would be interesting to see how the Bench reacts to what can be easily construed as an attack on the institution of Chief justice.

Mr. Jethmalani has also rehashed his familiar allegations against the Attorney-General, and once the book is formally released, Mr. Soli Sorabjee can be expected to return the compliment. Also, the former Law Minister's observations could provoke his successor, Mr. Arun Jaitely into setting the record straight.

Above all, Mr. Jethmalani's fondest hope would be to embarrass the Prime Minister, especially on the matter of Mr. Vajpayee's long-standing friendship with the Hinduja brothers. The brothers have become controversial after the CBI decided to file a charge- sheet in the Bofors case. The most curious part in this unsavory drama is that Mr. Jethmalani himself is known to have been extremely close and partisan of the Hindujas, and there is enough public evidence to suggest that he was never apologetic about this association.

Though Mr. Jethmalani may succeed in generating a first-rate political controversy, this final act of rashness may itself embolden those in the Vajpayee establishment who believe that it was time a full-investigation was sanctioned against the former Minister for allegations of misusing his official position in the infamous M.S. Shoes case.

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