Zero Tolerance against Corruption and Say No to Rapes – Worst Fraud on Women
“Zero Tolerance against Corruption” is the most invoked reiteration, more so from the “Ramparts of Red Fort”, since I K Gujral’s period in 1997 to 1998. “We remain committed to fighting corruption” is also reaffirmed internationally.
Next, recently Modi assured strict action in cases of crime against women – no culprit should be spared.
Coining catchy political slogans may pay electoral dividends for some time; but not always. Even if they are effectively implemented, they too lose their relevance over longer periods. Perhaps, the best example is the Ram Temple consecration that failed to pay electoral dividends in the Parliament elections.
In retrospect, both invocation of “Zero Tolerance against corruption” and “Say No to Rapes” have little relevance considering their very poor implementation in the past.
Undeniably, corruption is the most sinister national security threat that knows no geographic boundaries, and most devastating. Hardly there are any worthwhile successes in the fight against corruption.
Today, Sonia Ghandy, Rahul Ghandy, Robert Vadra, Priyanka Vadra, Karti Chidambaram, A Raja, Laloo Prasad Yadav, P Chidambaram among many others are on bail pontificating on various critical issues and challenges facing the nation. The recent high profile names include: Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Jain, Kavita among others.
At the same time, when 25 Opposition leaders facing corruption probe crossed over to BJP, 23 of them got reprieve with 3 cases closed, 20 stalled or in cold storage. List of 25 includes: Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Pratap Sarnaik, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hasan Mushrif, Bhavana Gawali, Yamini & Yashwant Jadhav, C M Ramesh, Raninder Singh, Sanjay Seth, Suvendu Adhikari, K Geetha, Sovan Chatterjee, Chhagan Bhujbal, Kripashankar Singh, Digambar Kamat, Ashok Chavan, Naveen Jindal, Tapas Roy, Archana Patil, Geeta Koda, Baba Siddiqui, Jyoti Mirdha, and Sujana Chowdary,
The Opposition calls it the “washing machine,” the mechanism by which politicians accused of corruption doesn’t face legal consequences if they quit their party and join the BJP.
Some irrefutable facts of corruption in the past include: only around 10 major corruption cases from 1947 to 1979 (32 years). Starting with 9 cases during the 1980s, the number of corruption cases shot up to 28 in the following 10 years with economic liberalization in play.
During NDA Vajpayee rule from 1999 to 2003, there were 14 major scams.
By contrast, during UPA Manmohan Singh rule from 2004 to 2009, there were 29 major scams. And, during UPA Manmohan Singh rule from 2009 to 2014, there were – 118 major scams (2009 – 15 plus 2010 -20 plus 2011 – 40 plus 2012 – 19 plus 2013 – 24). Total of 10-year Congress Party rule – 147 major scams.
During NDA Modi rule from 2014 to 2019, there were 40 major scams. And, during NDA Modi Rue from 2020 to 2024, there were major 16 scams. Total – 56 major scams.
If the lesser known or publicized scams are considered, the list of all scams may exceed many times over.
Therefore, it is high time that Modi and the BJP stop invoking “Zero Tolerance against corruption” having dismally failed to put the corrupt leaders behind bars. Otherwise, act fast against the offenders and put them behind bars.
Next, the recent call for strict action in cases of crime against women is yet another fraud. Irrefutable facts of rapes registered as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) during five years include: 31,516 cases in 2022; 31,677 cases in 2021; 28,406 cases in 2020; 32,033 in 2019: and 33,356 in 2018. More importantly, only one in four reported rape cases result in convictions. And, the conviction rates include: 2017 - 32.2; 2018 - 27.2; and 2019 - 27.8.
Ironic but true that political leaders without exception claim to be paragons of virtue and most honorable men with moral probity and integrity of impeccable order.
However, Bernard Shaw made scathing indictments about them: “politics is the last resort for the scoundrels” and “there are no morals in politics; but only expedience”.
Fact - Indian political leaders without exception are dramatists of exceptional order. More aptly, they are past masters of the art and science of self aggrandizement at the cost of society and the nation. Also, if you catch a corrupt elected representative, every one of his ilk will cry “Political Vendetta” and “Rule of Law in Peril”.
Not to be left out of consideration is the political gimmickry of “Save Samvidhan” and “caste census”.
“Wake up – We the People of India”! Stop getting fooled by political sloganeering. For they are merely vote-catching gimmickry.
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