M D Nalapat
The
Union Home Minister of India, Palanipaan Chidambaram, was among the
highest-paid lawyers in the country even while he dabbled in politics.
He is therefore accustomed to reading from a brief, and sharpening the
arguments that his clients seek to make. It is no secret on Raisina
Road, the stately colonial-era avenue that fronts North and South Block,
that although he is bound by the Constitution of India to report to the
Prime Minister,in fact he reports to Congress President (CP) Sonia
Gandhi, who since 2004 has enjoyed the benefits of unlimited
governmental power without any legal responsibility. Within the Prime
Minister’s Office, the loyal Minister of State Prithviraj Chavan used to
consult her and her close associates before any major decision got
taken.
Chavan’s ability to steer investigations by agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) (the country’s premier police agency) is legendary. Suffice it to say that under his watch, no individual who accommodated the interests of the Congress President has suffered at the hands of the CBI, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other agencies was harassed,while few individuals who went against those same interests escaped unscathed. These days,the CBI,the DRI and the ED have become bywords for corruption and cronyism, and enjoy sub-zero credibility within the Indian public. As for the efficiemt Minister of State in the PMO,he has been rewarded for his fealty by being annoited Chief Minister of the most lucrative state in India,Maharashtra,the capital of which is Mumbai.Another PMO official whose job was to ensure that the writ of the Congress President was followed within the Manmohan Singh government was sent off to a foreign capital for a well-deserved break,before he returns in triumph next year on a major promotion. As in Pakistan, in India as well,sweet are the rewards of absolute loyalty to well-connected individuals.
