Thursday, March 3, 2011

NEED TO GO INTO ROLE OF SONIA GANDHI IN DECISION-MAKING

B.RAMAN

Sonia Gandhi can do no wrong.

2, That seems to be the basic assumption in the current debate on the various decisions of a very controversial nature made by the Government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since the present Government was formed after the elections of 2009----whether the decisions related to the questionable functioning of the Ministry of Telecommunications or the wrongful appointment to the high-pedestal post of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner of someone facing an enquiry into a charge, which could cast a shadow on his integrity if proved or other serious matters of public interest.

3. In all the debates in public---whether in the media or by political parties---- the focus has been on the role of the Prime Minister and other concerned Ministers as well as bureaucrats. I watched with interest the debate in the various TV channels this evening on the adverse judgement of a bench of the Supreme Court delivered earlier in the day in the case regarding the procedure followed for the appointment of Shri P.J.Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

4. The eminent personalities, who participated in the debates, as well as the TV anchors focussed only on the role of the various personalities in the Government from the Prime Minister downwards. Not one of them mentioned even in passing the possible role of Sonia Gandhi as the leader of the Congress (I) in these controversial decisions. Even the spokespersons of the opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), did not even mention her name in their interventions.

5. Does this mean that all these controversial decisions were taken only by the Government with the Congress (I) leadership playing no role in it? Any objective analyst would find it difficult to accept this. We have been under a peculiar system of governance since 2004 in which real power seems to be wielded by Sonia Gandhi in her capacity as the head of the Congress (I) with the Prime Minister as the head of the Government exercising only seeming power.

6.There has been an unseen, but unquestioned power which has been exercising a compulsive influence on decision-making in important matters. This compulsive influence is quite evident in the case of the appointment of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Whether in matters relating to his appointment despite his facing an incomplete enquiry or the defence of his appointment before the Supreme Court everyone from the Prime Minister downwards has been acting as if they were acting at the instance of an invisible force that could not be resisted. Such an invisible force could be only that of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.

7. She has been conducting herself as a neutral, disinterested by-stander, who had nothing to do with any of these decisions. She has not spoken on any of these decisions in any great detail, nor has she been questioned.Everyone, including the media and even the opposition, has been behaving as if like the British monarch she is above and beyond all controversies and, hence, her role cannot be questioned.

8. If one has to find out the real truth behind the recent controversies it is as important to go into her role as it is to go into the role of others. The assumption that Sonia Gandhi can do no wrong has to be challenged by the public as well as the media and the political class. She must be made to face the fire of criticism and questioning like any other leader. She should no longer be treated as if she is a morally superior person whose good faith and integrity have to be implicitly accepted.

9. It is important for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) now being constituted to summon her and question her in detail on the various controversies. It is equally important for her role in decision-making to be debated in Parliament, in the media and elsewhere. She should herself welcome a greater public focus on her role and influence in decision-making. ( 3-3-11)

( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )

8 comments:

R.A.Krishna said...

Sir, who will bell the cat?

Anonymous said...

So dear, Raman Ji. Kindly explain WHY YOU DIDN'T raise this to likes of Barkha Dutt on NDTV.

You seem to be enjoying the company of likes of Barkha / Sardesai who were caught red handed on tapes brokering Cabinet posts on behalf of Congress.

So next time, raise this to your friends at NDTV. Also raise why despite lying about their financial position, and being caught by RBI for violating norms.. Both RBI and ICICI ignored the wrongdoing of NDTV and made loan to this media house based on fallacious claims.

This issue was raised by M J Akbar's news paper, the Sunday Guardian :-

http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1088
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1082

The reason why likes of NDTV are allowed to break law, is because this way Government can blackmail them.

And then despite having worked for IB, you wonder why likes of NDTV don't question Sonia.

- An Internet Hindu (Which you claimed are bigger threat than even LeT who have already murdered thousands, all this to make Rahul look less stupid).

srinivasan said...

Refreshingly new angle to the scams and controversial acts that the UPA govt. seem to produce with unfailing regularity.Your analysis also provides an explanation to the seemingly ill-advised and brazenly carried out procedural acts like the appointment of Thomas. But I see a clear strategy-directions coming from the top and executives simply implementing, ready to face the flak.

Wiki said...

You scratch my back - I scratch your back. Thats the 'mantra' of the Gandhi family lead UPA. SOnia Gandhi and Rahul Yuvraj Baba have told their ministers, babus etc that the real power will be wielded by the Gandhi family only. Constitution of India be damned! In return, all babus and ministers are free to eat as much money as they want. If any one of them is caught, the Gandhi family will ensure that their political careers are not disturbed by offering them a President's or Governor's or CVC position after the storm settles down.

Understand the long term plan of the Gandhi family!! Rahul Yuvraj baba is waiting out the storm for the throne. We PATRIOTIC Indians have to stop this tamash of our democracy.

Sudhir said...

Forefront amongst the journalists who NEVER question Sonia is Barkha Dutt.

IBN's Rajdeep Sardesai questions why she is silent. He does that many times. I don't watch TIMES NOW.

But I have never ever seen Barkha posing this question at all. Just FYI.

-Sudhir

Esoteric said...

The only reason PM has'nt quit yet is either because he is scared of what will happen to him after he is not PM (remember N Rao) or he actually believes he has the upperhand in this obvious and now open battle with SG.

Eventually,all wrong doers will see walls of a jail by end 2012,as Ive maintained all along.In the interim,we might see elections or Govt change after TN elections.If PM goes after SG wrt corruption..Congress wont hesitate to pull the plug on the Govt(SGs power is wielded from the outside);its reaching that stage very fast.

With cases like Babri and Gujarat riots,BJP cannot or will not go after SG...but will train their guns on the PM.

Ratan said...

Scam of the highest order.....sweat, blood and aspirations of millions in this country is ultimately drained to wash the feet of Madam.

kabalan said...

the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), did not even mention her name in their interventions.//

Advani did this during the 2009 lok sabha elections, by calling Manmohan a weak PM. so, BJP won't risk doing that mistake once again.

The eminent personalities, who participated in the debates, as well as the TV anchors focussed only on the role of the various personalities in the Government from the Prime Minister downwards. Not one of them mentioned even in passing the possible role of Sonia Gandhi//

Because our honorable media persons are all on the payroll of madam. A few days ago when the Allahabad high court served a notice to Rahul Gandhi on the rape and abduction of Sukanya Devi, no media reported it. The very next day, Advani was served notice in connection with his role in Babri dispute, which every tv channels gleefully broke on their TVs.

http://www.timesnow.tv/Debate-Q-gets-away---2/videoshow/4366970.cms

watch the above video, where Rahul Kanwal interrupts Ram Jethmalani tried to spill the beans about Rahul Gandhi's detention in Boston airport.

All these things show the extent of control the mother-son duo exerts over the media.