view in one page and print
The recent series of high-level corruption in government has created outcry against it. The fasting by Anna Hazare, a leading Gandhian social worker has galvanized our nation. Sensing public mood and upcoming state elections, govt. has at least started taking some action against corrupt govt. officials and politicians.
____________________________________
a) Big B, Ramdev extend support to Hazare's crusade
TNN & Agencies, Apr 8, 2011, 02.25pm IST
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Yog guru Baba Ramdev has come out in full support of Anna Hazare's agitation against corruption.
Joining the protesters at Jantar Mantar, Baba Ramdev raised a battle cry for hanging the corrupt.
Baba Ramdev
Addressing the protesters, Ramdev said the government should hang the corrupt so that it serves as a deterrent to others.
Taking a dig at the government, Ramdev said if those running the government were clear and clean, they should not hesitate in framing a law that gave capital punishment to the corrupt.
He said the government was indifferent to the issue of corruption as the ruling members did not get affected by it.
There has been an outpouring of support for Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption. (Reuters photo)
Ramdev was all praise for Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption and said that he had come to the venue empty stomach.
The yog guru praised the media for supporting the campaign against corruption.
He said the government will have to ensure that the five representatives from the government side in the draft committee will have to be absolutely taint free or else they will not be accepted.
Meanwhile, extending his support to noted social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan said he would always back issues that benefit the country and also called upon the media to commit themselves to the cause.
"I shall always be supportive of any issue which benefits the nation. I do not have to preach and shout out my allegiance towards my country from the roof top every day. My loyalty is not up for questioning and is not most certainly in a realm where it can be doubted," Bachchan wrote on his blog on Friday.
Replying to a girl named Pooja from his blog, Bachchan, who seemed to be hurt by her comments further said, "It is painful to know that without having complete knowledge of the matter from my end, she could assume factors which are not existent. To state that I am busy and interested in earning my money only and not concerned with matters of social interest, is completely unacceptable and unfair."
"How many electronic (channels) have committed themselves to the cause," he asked.
Anna Hazare
"Merely doing hourly reportages of it for their commercial existence and putting questions to be answered by others is a neat duck from putting their own foot into it. It would impress me greatly if a 'stringer' sent on a mission to report the news were to drop the microphone, desist from reporting and join in with the fast - something that they keep asking us to do," the 68-year-old actor said.
"Whatever work or programmes benefit the nation...are in the best of our country's interest. I appreciate and support it. Neither do we go around claiming credit for it nor do we know how to do it," he concluded.
India Inc also extended support to Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption, stating it is "sick" of the menace.
"We support any such movement by anybody, including Ramdev and Anna Hazare, to reduce corruption soon... We are sick of corruption," leading industrialist and Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj said.
Adi Godrej, the Chairman of the Godrej Group, also extended support to Hazare, who has been sitting on a fast-unto-death since Tuesday to press for an effective Lokpal Bill to deal with corruption in high places.
"Industry cannot go on streets. Yes, corporate India does support his cause. We are with him," said Godrej.
Pointing out that corruption cannot disappear from India immediately, Bajaj lauded the efforts of Hazare, saying "something has to be done" about it.
Expressing similar views, the Director General of industry chamber Ficci, Rajiv Kumar, said, "We completely support Hazare in his fight against corruption, which has been denting India."
Ficci, Kumar added, favours setting up of ombudsman-type institutions to deal with issues of corruption and governance.
___________________________________________
b) 2G scam: CBI charge sheets Kanimozhi, 4 others
http://www.mynews.in/News/2g_scam_cbi_charge_sheets_kanimozhi_4_others_N341466.html
Agencies, 25-Apr-2011 07:00:43 PM
2G scam: CBI charge sheets Kanimozhi, 4 others
CBI arrests Kanimozhi
New Delhi: The CBI on Monday filed its second charge sheet in the 2G spectrum case naming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi and four others as accused.
However, the CBI has not named Mr. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, whose name had figured in the 2G probe, as the accused in the supplementary charge sheet filed before Special judge O.P. Saini.
Others who have been charge sheeted along with Ms. Kanimozhi are Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa’s cousin Asif Balwa, Rajeev Agarwal — Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, and Karim Murani of Cineyug Films (Pvt) Ltd.
The special court summoned Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar and Karim Morani to appear before it on May 6 as accused in 2G spectrum case saying “there is enough incriminating material on record” to proceed against them.
Ms. Kanimozhi has been charged with section 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The sections deal with acceptance of alleged gratification.
Ms. Kanimozhi, Mr. Sharad Kumar and Mr. Murani have not been arrested by the CBI but Mr. Asif Balwa and Mr. Agarwal are in judicial custody.
The charge sheet said the investigation into the case disclosed that money had travelled from DB Realty to Kalaignar TV.
Ms. Kanimozhi, Ms. Dayalu Ammal and Mr. Sharad Kumar have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively.
The CBI told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Swan Telecom Promoter Shahid Usman Balwa to Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd.
The agency, which in the first charge sheet had said the money travelled through a “circuitous route” through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd, has maintained the position in the second charge sheet.
“Investigations have revealed that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Dynamix Realty, a partnership firm of DB Realty Ltd and other DB group companies, paid Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd during December 2008 to August 2009, following a circuitous route through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd (DB group holds 49 per cent equity in it),” CBI had said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.
_____________________________________
c) Kalmadi arrested by CBI in CWG scam case
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cbi-arrests-suresh-kalmadi-in-cwg-scam-case/150134-3.html
Bhupendra Chaubey , CNN-IBN
Updated Apr 25, 2011 at 09:06pm IST
Suresh Kalmadi
New Delhi: Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for irregularities in a Commonwealth Games corruption case. He has been arrested under Sections 120 B and 420 (criminal conspiracy and cheating) of the Indian Penal Code in the Commonwealth Games Time Scoring Equipment scam. Kalmadi reportedly conspired to favour a private firm in Switzerland by awarding contract at inflated cost of Rs 141 crore.
CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said that Kalmadi has been arrested for irregularities in the Time Scoring contract. Kalmadi will be produced in the Patiala Court on Tuesday.
The evidence that the CBI is going to use against Kalmadi include statements of officials who opposed the Swiss deal which has been recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, speech of Kalmadi verified by his staff including Media Manager given at the time of AGM where he openly announced: "Swiss Omega representatives are here they are going to get contracts".
Kalmadi reportedly made the statement months before the contract was awarded. Swiss Omega representatives attended all meeting of the Organising Committee and official minute records suggest presence of Swiss Timing agent Anil Madan and his partner in the meeting. Madan and his team was given access to high security stadiums much before contracts and they guided engineers about laying of cables.
The CBI claimed that the contract was given by wrongfully restricting and eliminating competition from other suppliers in pre-mediated manner.
Sources said that the CBI has also got crucial leads in the Time Scoring Equipment scam against Kalmadi. According to sources, the CBI has got the video recordings of an Organising Committee meet in New Delhi where Kalamdi and his associate, VK Verma, announced the awarding of Time Scoring Equipment contract to a Swiss company.
Two other senior officials of the Organising Committee - Surjeet Lal and ASV Prasad - have also been arrested in the Time Scoring scam.
The CBI has also summoned India representatives of Swiss Omega Gem International on Tuesday. They are also likely to be arrested.
He was questioned for the third time on Monday (April 25) by the CBI over alleged irregularities in the conduct of Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) held in London in 2009.
A two-member CBI team returned from London after carrying out extensive investigations in the Queen's Baton Relay scam.
Kalmadi was sacked as Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman following allegations of his involvement in Commonwealth Games corruption cases on January 24, 2011.
Till now seven people including Kalmadi have been arrested in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam. The others who have been arrested include Verma, Lalit Bhanot, Sanjay Mohindroo, M Jayachandran, TS Darbai and Kalmadi's personal assistant Shekhar Deorukhkar.
___________________________________________
d) 'Corrupt forces trying to derail our campaign'
TNN | Apr 29, 2011, 09.04pm IST
VARANASI: With Anna Hazare laid in hospital, it was left upon Arvind Kejriwal, the IRS officer-turned-anti-corruption crusader, to blow the formal bugle against corruption and launch the anti-graft campaign from Varanasi on Friday on Anna'a behalf.
"All corrupt forces in the country have come together to derail the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare," claimed Kejriwal, the man who had won the Roman Magsaysay Award in 2006 for his contribution to the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
(BHU Gate, Lanka, Varanasi)
In a brief chat with media persons at Sarva Seva Sangh, Rajghat on Friday, Kejriwal said those same corrupt forces were afraid of the stringent provisions of the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill and wanted to derail the whole process through a well-planned conspiracy. "These forces have levelled baseless allegations against most of the civil society members of the joint committee constituted after the fast by veteran social activist Anna Hazare and widespread protests by citizens across India to draft an effective Jan Lokpal Bill," he said and pointed out even Anna was not spared by them.
"The main motive of such mud slinging is to build pressure on civil society members just to quit the committee. But, we are firm on our stand and have set our eyes on the goal like Arjuna," said Kejriwal, overruling the possibility of any breakup in the committee. "The entire country is standing by Anna Hazare for his tirade against corruption. It is not just an individual battle but a collective movement for a larger goal. Good and positive thinking people will have to come together to defeat the evil forces and change the corrupt system," he said and added there was no question of stopping the Lokpal Bill from coming into existence if all citizens came together. The fast of Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar was just a beginning, he said and added there was a long way to go with a strong commitment to bring reforms and changes in the system.
Kejriwal admitted that the absence of Anna Hazare in Varanasi to begin the anti-graft campaign had disappointed many, but added he (Hazare) would make a visit to the city sometime soon. He also attended a meeting of social activists associated with various social organisations at Sarva Seva Sangh before moving to the rally. Social workers from various places including Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, Allahabad and other places raised public problems at the meeting. After hearing their problems, he said all problems could be solved if the Lokpal Bill was enacted. He asked them to move to the rally place where he would explain the Jan Lokpal Bill in detail. He also made an appeal to them to publicise the features of Lokpal in their respective areas. Manish Sisodia, one of the members of India Against Corruption (IAC) who had been camping for several days in the city, said the IAC aimed at educating people about the need of an effective Lokpal to resolve problems. Lokpal Bill has been introduced eight times in Parliament since 1968. All the eight versions have been very weak. Even these weak versions have not been passed so far because Lokpal Bill seeks to investigate politicians. The AIC claimed that the latest draft of Lokpal Bill prepared by the present UPA government was a complete eyewash. Rather than strengthen anti-corruption systems, it demolishes whatever exists in the name of anti-corruption systems today. It seeks to completely insulate politicians from any kind of action against them.
Earlier, he along with others including Swami Agnivesh, former DGP Prakash Singh and satirist and actor Jaspal Bhatti arrived at Mughalsarai station by Purushottam Express. After refreshment and holding meetings with social workers at Sarva Seva Sangh, he moved to Asi Ghat by a boat.
Later, they went to the main gate of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Lanka area, where they offered floral garland to the statue of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya before moving to Cutting Memorial Inter College to address a public rally. It might be mentioned that Anna Hazare could not address the rally due to health reasons.
________________________________
Additional links:
*India Against Corruption
http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/
About Us
India Against Corruption movement is an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption.
India Against Corruption is a citizen's movement to demand strong anti-corruption laws. Lokpal bills were introduced in 1968, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, yet they were never passed. After a fast by veteran social activist Anna Hazare and widespread protests by citizens across India the Government of India constituted a 10-member Joint Committee of ministers and civil society activists to draft an effective Jan Lokpal Bill.
____________________________
*Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal is an Indian social activist and crusader for greater transparency in Government. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to fight corruption by holding the government answerable to the people.
Arvind Kejriwal was born in Hissar, Haryana in 1968, and graduated from IIT Kharagpur as a Mechanical engineer in 1989. Later, he joined the Indian Revenue Service, a part of the Indian Civil Service in 1992, and was posted at the Income-tax Commissioner's Office in Delhi. Soon, he realized that much of the corruption prevalent in government is owing to lack of transparency in the process. Even while in his official position, he started crusading against the corrupt practices. Initially, Arvind was instrumental in bringing in a number of changes to increase transparency in the government.
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Leave a comment
(if you having troubles, try posting your comment on this page or send an email to chronicle @ itbhuglobal.org)Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP