*Note: The political game of BJD Vs Opposition parties over Dal & Mining Scam* ** Dal scam exposes both the Ruling and Opposition parties in Odisha
*By Sai Prasan*
The Rs 700 crore Dal scam in Odisha has over shadowed all other mega scams in the state. The scam has got a larger media coverage and public attention than all other million-scams together. Due to this, the multi-crore mining scam and other bigger scams have taken a back seat for the moment.
Actually, the Dal scam has come in handy both for the ruling BJD and the Opposition parties specially the BJP to serve their interest. It has helped the ruling BJD to hide the multi crore mining and other major scams in which bigger political players both from the ruling and opposition parties are involved. The magnitude of the mining scam is yet to be known. The estimation of the mining scam ranges from Rs 40,000 crore to two lakh crores rupees in Odisha.
The BJP got an opportunity to make the Dal scam a political issue as it could not take advantage of the multi-hundred crore mining scam because the Saffron party is also facing a tough time in Karnataka due to the BJP government’s direct involvement in the mining scam in that state. It is known to all that the Reddy brothers, who are found guilty of the mining scam in Karnataka, are part of the state government.
Besides this, the direct involvement of the family members of Karnataka chief minister Yeddurappa’s in the land scam in the state has established that the BJP is no different than any other political party. They control the BJP government and all efforts of the party to distance itself from them have failed as they threatened to break the party in the state. The media flashing the BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj blessing the Reddy brothers has further established that the Saffron party blatantly supports the scamsters than any political party.
In this backdrop, the BJP national general secretary Kirit Somaiya giving statement this week in Bhubaneswar that the BJP will take up the Dal scam at the national level leaves an impression that he is indulging in a political drama. He has made a statement that his party will not rest till all the guilty responsible for the Dal scam are put behind the bars. He should have the courage to make a similar statement in Karnataka where his party leaders are involved in the mining, land and other scams.
People acquinted with Kirit Somaiya and with his registered front Investors Grivances Forum (IGF) in the country’s financial capital – Mumbai – know that he makes all kinds of stunts to get his pound of flesh. As a qualified Chartered Accountant, Somaiya first raises the irregularities in the market and corporate functioning of the companies and makes all kinds of hue and cry to end up with nothing. Only, he and the corporate management know what transpires between them and why the cases fizzle out. The electorate of Mumbai North East have rejected him in the last two Lok Sabha polls, in 2004 and 2009, due to his low credibility.
Compared to BJP, Congress is less vocal on the Dal scam because the high command has given direction to the state leadership to go slow on the BJD government because the national party wants to take the support of the regional party at the Centre in case DMK, one of the two constituents of UPA at Centre, pulls out its support in the forthcoming budget session. The relationship between DMK and Congress has strained beyond a point following the 2G scam which is considered the biggest scam Independent India has ever had.
Added to this, the support of the Mamata’s Trinumul Congress to UPA is also on the rocks. The party may also withdraw its support to the UPA government, before the West Bengal Assembly poll scheduled this March or April, to distance itself from the 2G and other scams of UPA government.
Moreover, BJD also wants to normalize its relationship with the Congress keeping the interest of the state. Its several industrial projects including POSCO and Vedanta have been in problems due to the strained relationship between the State and Centre. The state government also wants to get the financial support for the agriculture sector.
The weakening state BJP aims to take advantage of Dal scam to re-juvanate its political base in Odisha. It is gearing up to corner the BJD in the forthcoming Assembly session starting from February 14th. The state women and child development minister Pramila Mallick got the hint of the political strategists of the ruling party. Like other leaders of the deprived section of any political party, she too has toed the dictates of the upper caste leadership of the BJD and resigned from the ministryship on the moral ground though she claims that the Vigilance report on Dal scam has given her a clean chit. However, the Dal scam reflects her inability to detect the irregularities in time.
The chief minister Naveen Patnaik is personally monitoring the Dal scam investigations. He has ensured the suspension of a large number of senior officials in various districts who are guilty of the irregularities took place. But, BJD government should know that taking action against the senior officials of the district administration alone is not enough. It should also make the political leadership – MPs and MLAs – of the respective districts accountable and responsible to the people. These MPs and MLAs instead of sitting in New Delhi and Bhubaneswar respectively, after winning elections, should ensure that the district administration is catering to the needs of the people.
Both BJD and Opposition political parties should note that the Dal scam can not save their skin for long. The people of Odisha are observing all the actions of the political parties and governments. Like Dal Scam, the BJD government should also soon book all the guilty responsible for the mining and other scams to protect its Clean image.
Similarly, both the state BJP and Congress leadership should ask their respective national leadership to take stringent action against the culprits involved in the 2G scam at Centre and mining-land scam in Karnataka. All these political leaders should know that they can not throw stones on each other by sitting in the glass houses. Because, the simmering discontentment among the people due to the Corruption will not spare anyone. We may soon witness an Egypt kind of situation in Odisha as well as in India too.
Source: www.bizodisha.com
