Irrespective of whether they are in the government or not, scams tumble out of the Congress closet in a time-bound manner. The party stands all but annihilated, and law enforcement agencies are at the heels of every leader with any standing. But subverting the law and throwing ethics aside, all for the sake of enrichment and consolidation, is too deeply entrenched in the party’s genes. Perhaps (and this has no connection with any ‘youth icon’ in the party) this condition can be compared to drug addiction. Despite reprimand and treatment, the addict is often incapable of countering his craving.
The latest episode is being played out in the state of Karnataka, the Congress Party’s only surviving fortress of significance.
Karnataka is holding elections to the Rajya Sabha, and politicians have been caught on tape discussing potential quid-pro-quos. Investigative journalism from two rival media houses brought this to the fore, indicating just how openly and nonchalantly the fixers operate.
None of the three major parties in Karnataka have enough legislators to win the state’s fifth seat to Rajya Sabha, the election of the first four being quite a straightforward affair.
In contention for the fifth seat are a Congress candidate and a candidate from the regional JDS. According to the tapes, politicians on both sides seem quite at ease poaching MLAs who do not belong to their party. The JDS, known to cultivate local moneybags, is ready to offer six to eight crores for every independent legislator’s vote. The Congress on its part, is ready to throw open the state’s coffers to get their candidate elected to the Rajya Sabha. Independent legislators have been promised hundred crore grants for their constituencies, in order that they may spend extravagantly in the far end of their terms and get re-elected. The offer is so enticing that some JDS legislators are expected to jump ship as well.
In one of the tapes, an independent legislator claimed that the Congress Party would herd them off somewhere outside Karnataka right before the elections, keeping them as far from the JDS as possible. His prophecy has come true. Fourteen independent MLAs are huddled in a five-star hotel in Mumbai since Monday. Meanwhile, both the media houses have forwarded their tapes to the election commission, and people from all walks of life have demanded that the election process come to a halt. It remains to be seen what the election commission chooses to do, and what the future course of action will be.
What has transpired in the build up to Rajya Sabha elections does not shock anyone. When it comes to the Congress Party, irrespective of whether it is a first rung leader or a lowly cadre, corruption and manipulation to fulfil one’s objectives are commonplace. Even if the footage that was obtained never emerged, no one in their right minds would believe that the party was working with any standard of integrity. After what has been witnessed through the years, it is simply too much to expect. But to gauge accurately as to how much this party cares for or respects the country, examining their corruption and their sabotage of national security is not enough. One must observe how rampantly India’s grand old party has undermined democratic processes.
Last week itself, we came across two examples. One is of course the Rajya Sabha elections of Karnataka. As aforementioned, what was supposed to be a free and fair election was manipulated using monetary rewards. The other, was how an unelected man was appointed chief minister. It isn’t the people’s or the party’s, but only 10 Janpath’s mandate that the man has. This undemocratic para-dropping has been typical of the Congress Party. In fact, some graver instances have shown us that the first family has no regard for the people whatsoever and considers itself to be royally entitled. The emergency of the 70s and the NAC during UPA1 (NAC was an extra constitutional body headed by the Congress president which advised the government, defeating the whole purpose of having a government) come to mind.
India isn’t anybody’s personal fiefdom where loot is the norm and democracy is just an obstacle. Every attempt to undermine the voter by coercion and bribery, to undermine the elected by ordering them around without holding the appropriate office, or to suspend people’s rights altogether, are instances of democracy being eroded. Prime minister Modi is often referred to as fascist for no rhyme or reason. In a world where an anti-Modi agenda is constantly driven, we must keep in mind who the real people are that harbor dictatorial tendencies and latent authoritarianism.