Arun Jaitley approached me on behalf of Ram Jethmalani during the Jain hawala case.Both Ram and Arun are my friends. Ram had drafted the original petition in the hawalacase. He now wanted to defend Advani, an accused in the case. Some found this highlyunethical. Ram and Arun wanted to know whether I would publicly object. I told Arun that Iwouldn't. It was an issue between Ram and his conscience. Arun almost worshipped Ram andacted like his man Friday.
During the 13-day Vajpayee government, Ram as law minister said that he was prepared togive a sworn affidavit regarding Advani's innocence. For that he deserved to be sacked. Aslaw minister he committed contempt in a case that was sub judice. But his action raised noofficial eyebrows.
All that seems long ago. Now Ram and Arun are on opposite sides. It is Arun's job torubbish Ram's allegations. That's how the cookie crumbles.
Ram has alleged that as attorney-general, Soli Sorabjee committed gross impropriety ingiving legal advice to the Hindujas who are accused in the Bofors case. Sorabjee says thathe did not advise the Hindujas on Bofors but on an Andhra power plant case. His decisionto advise the Hindujas was okayed by then law minister Kumaramangalam. Technically,Sorabjee was blameless. But was he, or for that matter Kumaramangalam, morally justified?
As for Chief Justice Anand, it is not for the government to defend him. If theallegations against him are false, the journalists concerned should be sued for contempt.Earlier, the Supreme Court refused to act against the accused in a contempt case involvingformer chief justice Verma. If the court won't defend its own reputation, how will peoplerespect the court?
In his resignation statement, Jethmalani grandly stated: "I would not continue tobe a minister for a minute had I to suppress from the nation vital facts..." Manydisgraceful occurrences have been in the glare of publicity. One need not catalogue them.The honourable former minister and the entire political elite maintained a deafeningsilence. So the public isn't fooled. The establishment's credibility was already intatters. This fight is not inspired by any high principles. It is personal. The matter hasnot ended. It may have just begun.
The lies they utter
Without a stutter,
Making waves
In the gutter!
