RAJ DALUJA
JAMMU: Even as controversy over the alleged bribe of Rs 13 crore to a BJP minister in Jammu and Kashmir and letting off a ‘heavily escorted ministerial car carrying invalid tender of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes’ by the police is refusing to die down, political activists have got activated to reclaim their lost space in the otherwise docile political spectrum of the State. Obviously, the Congress and the National Conference, the two major political players, rejected by voters in 2014 elections, are trying to derive optimum political mileage out of the report, authenticity of which remains a huge riddle.
However, it is ironical for the two parties-Congress and National Conference– to rake up the news report with regard to graft of Rs 13 crore, allegedly given to a BJP minister for granting building permission to a most influential family of Jammu for raising apartments at a premier location in the capital city notwithstanding the fact that the site plan had been sanctioned during their regime, which holds validity for three years. Where the question of corruption does arises? Obviously, such reports have political connotations aimed at maligning both the BJP and Jammu Police.
Lurching in political wilderness, after the huge verdict in favour of PDP and BJP in assembly elections, the frustrated and directionless Congress and National Conference have plunged to grapple in the dark over this issue in a vain bid of re-establishing their credentials as custodians of public interest and thus making themselves relevant to the wavering State politics. In this hot pursuit, the discredited and scam-ridden Congress is pretending to be honest and the sole custodian of public interest. This is hilarious. Suffering from infamous Pappu syndrome, the Congress is particularly irritated and agitated over Narendra Modi’s master-stroke demonetisation and in a fit of rage, its leaders are trying to exploit and instigate people by exploiting beyond proportion ‘huge public inconvenience’, citing large queues outside banks, which is nothing but wild imagination of the Congressmen.
On the contrary, the Congress is itself causing lot of discomfort to the common people of Jammu by unnecessarily sensationalizing the public inconvenience due to demonetisation. The graft and transportation of notes by BJP ministers is being exploited to the hilt. What could be worse tactics than blocking the main squares and roads in mistaken belief of highlighting so-called public inconvenience? Seeking sack of the BJP ministers, allegedly involved in graft and transportation of old currency for exchange, the Congress activists don’t think for a moment how much inconvenience their misadventure is causing to commuters due to road blockades. The Thursday blockade on the National Highway witnessed two ambulances, carrying critically ill patients, getting stuck at Hiranagar and Halti Morh with Congress protesters not realising that delay could cost two precious lives. Repeated and pathetic pleas of kin of the patient stuck at Halti Morh did not move the conscience of Congress protesters to pave at least the way for ambulance to reach their destination. Even police did not help them out from the precarious position they got into due to road blockade. For Congress, politics is more important than human lives. Perhaps the Congress wanted more people to die in such situations so as to add up to the number of demonetisation casualties of 70 across the country. Unfortunately, they treat these deaths as their political asset and a ploy to corner the NDA government.
The Congress must understand that if a common man is suffering due to long queues, he is equally facing hardships by road-blockades, which the party is currently indulging in across the Jammu region.
Out of power, National Conference is also trying to milk the political situation in the wake of demonetisation. In a bid to overthrow the government, the NC leaders too have been giving vague statements over demonetisation and alleged corruption of the BJP ministers in Jammu. True, some of the present ministers in the PDP-BJP coalition, especially those belonging to BJP, have amassed huge wealth during the past over two-and-half-years. This is an open secret, which is more being agitated by the BJP workers than the opposition. Like corrupt and unscrupulous elements in various political parties, demonetisation by Narendra Modi has made some BJP ministers more uncomfortable here as well and in a bid to ‘adjust’ their swollen currency they might be finding ways and means to exchange these by hook or crook. Therefore, unconfirmed reports and motivated ‘plants’ by political adversaries have potential of creating furor and ripple in the society. This is precisely what is happening in Jammu these days.
Jammu and Kashmir, tagged with the stigma of being second most corrupt State in the country, has a unique distinction of having deep rooted politico-police nexus. That has been sustaining over decades, no matter which political parties take the centre-stage in affairs of the State. The police has gained notoriety due to unscrupulous activities of black-sheep within as a result of which people have lost faith in the force. By remaining mute in the ongoing controversy over safe passage to ‘currency laden ministerial car’, the police is inadvertently strengthening public perception about the dirty nexus. Sagacity demanded the police and the BJP to have clarified their respective positions with regard to the news report and its authenticity. After all it involves credibility of both-BJP as a responsible political party and police as an impartial law enforcing force. Failing in doing so will only strengthen the common perception, “Iss Hammam Mey Sab Nange Hain”.