Baalu did not send a single letter to the ministry. In fact, he did not write a single letter to anyone, seeking help for his son. Baalu isn’t a writer. He works the talk. So how can he be called corrupt? At best he may be called an uncaring parent not looking after his son.
So, were there no letters sent to the ministry? Of course there were. But they were all sent by the PM’s office. The government denied ordering the ministry to help Baalu’s son. The government spoke the truth. It merely reminded the ministry eight times to act. The PM said he did not help Baalu’s son. He spoke the truth. However hard he tried, government officials simply ignored him.
How can that be called corruption? Does not the PM have a duty to help business? And does it not show the PM’s diligence that he ordered his office to send eight letters to the ministry concerned? It shows the PM’s commitment to aid business and industry, so that India might achieve a double-digit rate of growth. There was no personal vested interest involved because the PM is in no way a blood relation of Baalu’s son. Then where is the question of corruption? Naughty, naughty opposition!
Wait a minute, though. Some critics are actually saying that the PM had a vested interest in helping Baalu’s son. Baalu it seems belongs to the DMK. And Karunanidhi’s party owns a sizeable chunk of MPs in the UPA alliance. A large number of them have been made ministers. This signifies the DMK’s importance. The PM and Congress have to rely on the DMK as much as they do on the Left to survive in office. The DMK is as much committed to defending the rights of Chennai’s sons of the soil, including Baalu’s son, as the Left is to defending the rights of China’s sons of the soil. This, admittedly, might have entered the PM’s calculations and led to his office dashing off eight letters to the ministry concerned, supporting Baalu’s son.
But can this be called corruption? Of course not! It’s politics, stupid!
Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com
