JOIN USThe Congress high command may have tried to make a point by the removal of Ashok Chavan from the chief ministership of Maharashtra and Suresh Kalmadi from his position as the secretary of the Congress parliamentary party. Both were tainted by corruption scandals — Chavan for irregular clearances for construction of flats by Adarsh co-operative society in Mumbai and availing some flats for his kin, and Kalmadi for his role in the award of contracts for the Commonwealth Games. But the party’s action does not go far enough, and seems to be only a firefighting operation to counter the opposition onslaught on these issues in parliament. Kalmadi continues as the president of the Indian Olympic Association and it was in that capacity that he committed the alleged irregularities. How can his removal from a position, which hardly anyone knew he held, be taken as punitive action against him?
The action against Chavan is also not convincing, if the party’s record in such cases is to go by. He himself does not accept any wrongdoing and says he is still in the good books of the high command. That might be his personal defence and might only be a sign of the refusal of politicians to accept their mistakes. But the fact that the high command considered his predecessor, Vilasrao Deshmukh, who had to leave under a cloud in 2008, to succeed him belies the party’s claim of taking corrective action against erring leaders.
Deshmukh was rehabilitated at the Centre after he resigned. If the leaders just cool their heels after a nominal action is taken against them or are rehabilitated in other positions, and make a return later, there is no credibility for the action taken against them. It actually becomes a farce. Public offices should not be revolving chairs of corruption. There are other leaders too who are involved in the Adarsh society scam. What about them?
Investigations have been ordered into both the CWG and the housing society scandals. Will they lead to punishment of those involved, both politicians and the officials who did their bidding? Politicians are rarely punished for their misconduct and corruption.
Resignations, both voluntary and forced, are not sufficient retribution. In fact they might only encourage politicians to indulge in ever greater corruption in the belief that they would only have to quit if they were caught. The law, which prescribes harsher penalties, applies to them too.