The Rediff Special/V C Bhaskaran

For the Congress and UF, corruption and political gangsterism is preferable to the BJP's "communalism"

It is just as well that the first week of the golden jubilee year of India's Independence should begin with the prime minister's party president being framed for graft. This is par for the course. For over a year now, the country has witnessed the horrible phenomenon of its top political leaders getting in and out of jail like common criminals. The only difference -- and a huge one at that -- between the politicians and the common felons is that the top leadership often -- nay always -- get preferential treatment.

The law is definitely not equal, especially when the high and mighty are concerned. That is why Laloo Prasad Yadav, instead of being taken to jail, is lodged in the cosy comfort of the officers mess of the Bihar military police in Patna. Laloo even rode in his own car -- not a police vehicle -- on his way to judicial custody. Bihar's top bureaucracy, including the chief secretary and director general of police, obviously took orders from the former chief minister, rather then take steps to effect his arrest.

Having installed his wife as chief minister, nothing is impossible for Laloo. The CBI's request for police assistance to arrest Laloo was cold shouldered by the state government. Instead, the top bureaucracy confabulated with Laloo, an accused in the Rs 9.5 billion fodder scam. Even designated CBI Judge S K Lal was subjected to threatening calls and abuse by Laloo supporters.

When Laloo finally decided to surrender, instead of the prosecuting agency being allowed to secure his arrest, the district magistrate ordered the withdrawal of the Rapid Action Force from Patna. What better proof of the total breakdown of the law and order machinery in Bihar!

But, not to worry. Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral declared in Parliament that there would not be any hasty action or "vindictiveness" in regard to corruption cases. He was responding to the situation following the Supreme Court's rejection of Laloo's special leave petition for anticipatory bail.

Gujral has no compunctions about the continuance of three ministers owing allegiance to Laloo's breakaway Rashtriya Janata Dal. Laloo formed this political group only after being cornered in the fodder scam. It should be remembered that then CBI director Joginder Singh directed Joint Director U N Biswas, who was investigating the fodder scam, to water down his report to the Patna high court. The exercise was meant to save Laloo, then a favourite of then PM Deve Gowda. Gujral replacing Deve Gowda has not changed the situation much; the prime minister is as much a Laloo creation as Deve Gowda was to a great extent.

The state-sponsored bandh in Bihar on Friday to protest Laloo's arrest was an instance of the state running amuck. The chief justice of the Patna high court was forced to summon the chief secretary and the DGP and order them to discharge their constitutional obligation of maintaining law and order. While Doordarshan played down the rowdy scenes in Patna by Laloo's goons, private television channels focused their cameras on the armed mobs lording it over in the state capital.

The political chicanery of the Congress and United Front is such that come what may, they will keep the Laloo satrap in power. Such blatant breakdown of the law and order machinery in the state is no reason for the Gujral-Kesri gang to dismiss Laloo's kitchen cabinet headed by his wife. The Communists are ready to launch an agitation against Laloo in Bihar, while opposing an adjournment motion moved by the BJP in the Lok Sabha. Kesri's Congress will back the Rabri Devi government to keep the BJP at bay!

For the Congress and UF, the canker of corruption and political gangsterism that has been eating into the vitals of this country is preferable to the "communalism" of the BJP.

The framing of Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav on the eve of his party's national executive meeting in New Delhi is just in order. Sharad Yadav has promised to fight it out. In his view, the issue is of political donations. That the money came from a tainted source does not matter. Hawala is black money. While Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram woos blackmarketers and hoarders with his voluntary disclosure scheme, black is certainly beautiful. Sharad Yadav certainly has a national issue to uphold and defend, and in it a gold opportunity for his ilk to stay on top.

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