‘Ulta chor kotwal ko danta’. H R Bhardwaj had to quote this when Yeddyurappa attacked him for sanctioning his prosecution. He had used this adage, then, figuratively to explain his position as the governor dealing with the chief minister facing graft charges. Now, it applies, in literal sense, to the prevailing political scene in Karnataka.
The Lokayukta police have filed FIR to investigate a case and the main accused in the case is their boss: the home minister.
R Ashok, who is accused of de-notifying land illegally, has promised cooperation with the police. If he had real intention to cooperate, he would have stepped down after the FIR is filed. His intention is to getaway with what he has done and the current position helps him in that.
As a home minister, he rules the police department. He can punish a police officer when he feels like doing it. Then the police officer can say: ‘Ulta chor kotwal ko danta.’
The rational behind demanding his resignation is nothing but to avoid this farce. But, Ashok is too brazen to budge. In fact the brazenness is his qualification. But for the brazenness, he couldn’t have become the minister.
When he became the minister for the first time, in 2006, he didn’t know what a department secretary was meant for and had no regards to the process of legislation for he was ignorant of the process. For every media query he encountered with he would say: “We will bring in a new act to address this issue.” When the secretary reminded him of the said act was already in force, he would insult him in public. Somebody had apparently taught him a minister would grow strong if he scolds bureaucrats in front of general public, and he followed it blindly. He was unmindful of the officials making fun of him in the back.
When he was the health minister, the government doctors were crowded at the BBMP with a job of counting garbage vehicles. They were there on deputation to evade service at rural area and Ashok didn’t know how to send them back to their mother departments. He would not listen to the officials as he believed he would be weak in their eyes, if he follows their advice. And the comedy was hilarious.
His public speeches were another act of the comedy play. He could not have pronounced Kannada words properly; his lisping would confuse and the audience would burst into laughter once they get hint of what he was really meant.
Such a man has politically grown up now. He has grown up to such an extent that the corruption charges are filed against him. He is not really dumb when it comes to the land issue. In fact was the one who brought the illegal encroachments to the fore during S M Krishna tenure. Then, he was in the opposition and now, he is in the ruling; the roles have been reversed and he is promptly practising what he learned by observing the ruling party members, while sitting on the opposition bench.
But, the real shocker is from L K Advani, the paragon of virtue. The patriarch, who has embarked upon the rath to cleanse corruption, is fine with Ashok continuing as the minister even after the police filing FIR against him. He had pledged that he would not step into the parliament until Yeddyurappa stepped down as the chief minister, when he was implicated in the Lokayukta on illegal mining. And he saw to it Yeddyurappa resigned.
Why he is not using the weapon on Ashok? We can believe in somebody, if they say it is due to amnesia as the age factor is in Advani’s side. If the amnesia is selective, then it is nothing to do with anybody’s age.
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