People's Democracy

JHARKHAND

CPI(M) Demands CBI Enquiry Into Bribery Case

THE Jharkhand state secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded a CBI enquiry into the Madhu Singh bribery case related to Rajya Sabha election. The party felt this is necessary to ensure that all the persons involved, including the person or persons who paid and those who got the money, can be exposed and the guilty may be punished.

The said episode has exposed the large-scale corruption among the ministers of the BJP led Arjun Munda government. The CPI(M) said the people would not be convinced about the honesty of chief minister Arjun Munda by the mere fact that he has taken action by removing Madhu Singh from the ministry. For, this is no example of eliminating corruption as the chief minister himself was involved in corruption in the Tata land lease case. Despite the fact that all the opposition parties had jointly submitted a memorandum to the governor, no action has been taken so far on this. 

The party also drew attention to the published reports in the media about large-scale corruption of other ministers in the Arujn Munda ministry. Chief minister Arjun Munda did not take any action against Lalchand Mahato and other members of his ministry despite the reports published about them.

The way the CBI report got its way into the media, and the way action was speedily taken by removing Madhu Singh from the ministry, reveals more of the inner conflicts that is plaguing the BJP and its allies in Jharkhand on the issue of downsizing the ministry. The CPI(M) has described as a joke the fact that George Fernandes of Tehelka fame felt ashamed of Madhu Singh’s action and suspended him from his party, the JD(U). The CPI(M) said fighting corruption was never an agenda for the BJP-led government in Jharkhand and for George Fernandes’ rag-tag party. It is only an eyewash to mislead the people before the coming Vidhan Sabha elections and a cover-up exercise.

The CPI(M) has also demanded immediate enquiry into all the published reports of corruption of on part of the members of Arjun Munda ministry. The CPI(M) has also demanded that the chief minister Arjun Munda must immediately resign as he has no moral right to continue in office. (INN)