RAJ DALUJA
JAMMU: Ever since bedecking the robes of power with PDP, for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP ministers have remained mired in controversies over charges of corruption, given abrupt shift in their life-style. Even STATE TIMES has remained in the forefront in exposing the acts of omission and commission from time to time. But the latest controversy over interception of a ministerial car with invalid currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination, amounting to over Rs 5 crore, has shocked Jammu, the stronghold of the BJP. The people can be seen guessing about the possible BJP minister whose car had been intercepted and allowed to go scot-free because of the political clout of the minister concerned. In this game of speculation, all the BJP ministers are suspects. And, by not doing any sincere effort to offset the speculations and deny the allegations, the PDP too is allowing itself to be painted in dark.
The biggest causality in the sensational news of transporting black-money is the reputation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is fighting a crusade to rid the nation of corruption and menace of black-money. When the allegations are about his party minister, the situation becomes all the more precarious.
Apparently the allegation seems patently a ‘plant’ for deriving political mileage by maligning the image of the BJP, the truth is needed to be unfolded. After the ‘expose’, the Congress went into press conference mode and sought action and even dismissal of the BJP minister allegedly involved in the incident. National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah lost no time in taking a jibe on the BJP while criticising Narendra Modi’s demonetisation while speaking his party workers in Bhadarwah.
Unmindful of border skirmishes, sufferings of border dwellers and mutilation of an Indian soldier, the Congress and National Conference jointly showed unique synergy and wave-length in their thought process to malign the PDP-BJP government at a time when demonetisation has become preamble of the united opposition. It is intriguing.
The two major opposition parties having played their cards, the ball is now in the court of the Chief Minister. Mehbooba Mufti will have to act to save the image of her government. The BJP too must assert to clear its position for the larger reputation of the party and the Prime Minister. But both have failed so far. There has been no official word or denial of the sensational exposure. What does this mean?
Believe sources, they say the story about transportation of crores of rupees is implied to malign a powerful BJP minister for having accorded sanction for building permission to a family of repute for raising housing cluster in the winter capital. The sanction for this purpose, in fact, has been granted by the previous NC-Congress government and therefore the role of the current dispensation can be safely ruled out. If so, what is the truth of huge money having changed hands and the consignment being transported in a ministerial car with police escort? Believing the police having let off the note-ladden car is an absurd proposition, as the law enforcing agencies have not even been acting against common people indulging in unscrupulous activities like bovine and narcotic smuggling, how could they lay their hands on a minister? Truth needs to be unfolded, sooner the better!
