The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : No sting in Mayajaal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 19, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

No sting in Mayajaal

There is more bark than bite in Mayawati's threat to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance Government. This of course is in retaliation for being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a two-year old case relating to alleged accumulation of assets by her. The Bahujan Samaj Party leader is well schooled in the art of Mayajaal, and surely knows the time is not opportune for a full-fledged war against the ruling coalition. The Congress-led UPA Government can survive without the BSP. Secondly, it is pointless to tangle with the Centre in a case directly monitored by the Supreme Court. Back in 2003, the apex court ordered the CBI to investigate the financial assets of the BSP chief as part of the inquiry into the infamous Taj corridor project. At that time, Ms. Mayawati blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government for her travails and now it is the UPA Government's turn to face her displeasure. This is not the only irony. The case survives not because of any witch-hunting by the two governments but despite each doing its best to shield the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. In 2003, the CBI took its own time to file the FIRs in the Rs. 175 crore Taj project. In January 2005, the agency sought to close the case, citing Attorney General Milon Banerjee's opinion that there was no direct evidence to link the mega scheme with Ms. Mayawati.

It is inconceivable that anybody other than the Chief Minister could have authorised a gargantuan venture involving the construction of shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment parks in a corridor abetting India's most celebrated monument. Clearly, on each occasion the agency was nudged in the `right' direction by the coalition in power. That, however, is not quite the end of the story. The CBI has returned to question the BSP supremo, who has typically ascribed malevolent motives to the agency and the two political coalitions: the CBI naturally is a "manuwadi" agency while the NDA and the UPA are "naagnath" (king cobra) and "saanpnath" (snake) respectively. The language, sadly, has lost its sheen from overuse. It is also a futile engagement given that the apex court is going over the Taj case with a toothcomb; it is hardly without significance that the CBI has resumed interrogating Ms. Mayawati at a time when another agency, the Central Vigilance Commission, has been brought into the picture by the request of the court. Recently, the CVC gave the court its opinion on whether Ms. Mayawati could be prosecuted. That the UPA Government is making all the right noises — the Home ministry has promised to do whatever it can to redress her grievances — does not particularly help the BSP chief. Legally, the moves amount to little. Politically, the BSP's 19 MPs can be considered back-up insurance for the Congress, which together with its UPA allies and the Left parties has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News Update

Stories in this Section

No sting in Mayajaal

China's turn to press for free trade

Dangers of the LTTE's air capability

Small satellites making it big

Scripting a solution

France on edge over EU Constitution

The Congress party's heir apparent?