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L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh's flip-flop is understandable. But what about the BJP’s ideologue on the N-deal, Yashwant Sinha?
L.K. Advani’s flip-flop is understandable. He keeps changing his mind depending on who briefs him. Jaswant Singh’s flip-flop is understandable. He could perhaps be under the influence of opium. But what about the BJP’s ideologue on the N-deal, Yashwant Sinha? He says the N-deal will destroy India’s sovereignty and endanger its security. How credible is this? That depends on how credible Yashwant Sinha is.
Sinha, along with Advani, was implicated in the Jain hawala case. Sinha allegedly received US $5,000 illegally from Jain as expenses for a foreign trip. Recently, Jain was found guilty in that case under FERA and fined Rs 200 crore. After the hawala case, Sinha became finance minister. No action was taken against him. The hawala case involved terrorist funding. To protect the politicians, the CBI covered up the case. The court dismissed the case for insufficient evidence. Former chief justice J.S. Verma, who heard the case, said subsequently in 2004 that the case needed to be reopened. No implicated politician seemed worried about the terrorist funding. They all covered up—and to hell with national security!
Introducing inferior machines to print money led to the proliferation of fake currency notes during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as finance minister. The situation worsened when Sinha became finance minister. Genuine notes could not be distinguished from fake notes even by the Reserve Bank or its printing press. This was revealed during police investigation into one case. No authority could authenticate currency notes—legal tender virtually disappeared! Funding of terrorists and penetration into legitimate business by crime syndicates became simple. The media pointed this out. Sinha did nothing—and to hell with national security!
The Telgi fake stamp paper scandal erupted when Sinha was finance minister. Fake stamp paper was indistinguishable from genuine stamp paper. This happened because the stamp paper was printed on machines and with the inks used by the government press that printed the stamp paper. This equipment had been illegally auctioned by a government official working in the press. Sinha as finance minister did not punish the official. He actually promoted him—and to hell with national security!
Now Sinha worries about national security. How seriously should we take him really?
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)