NEW DELHI: For the first time since he became prime minister, Manmohan Singh’s integrity was dragged into the line of political fire on Thursday with the corruption charges against DMK minister TR Baalu threatening to burn the prime minister’s office (PMO).
The salvo came from the DMK’s sworn enemy, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who pointed an accusing finger at the PMO and demanded that Singh quit for “conniving’’ with Baalu to pressure the petroleum ministry into dispensing out-of-turn gas allocations to companies owned by his sons.
Jayalalithaa issued her strongly-worded statement at the end of a day of dramatic developments that saw a television channel flash copies of 10 letters the PMO is supposed to have written on behalf of Baalu and the eviction of AIADMK’s parliamentary leader V Maitreyan from the Rajya Sabha when he disrupted question-hour to raise the issue.
“The PM was aware of Baalu’s corruption and was conniving with him. He has lost the right to lead the world’s largest democracy,’’ Jayalalithaa’s statement read.
A PMO spokesman refused to comment on the AIADMK’s attempt to draw Singh into the Baalu storm but Congress leaders were perturbed by the turn of events. While they do not expect the charges against Manmohan Singh to stick – Singh still enjoys a squeaky clean reputation — a party source expressed fears that the issue could snowball into a major embarrassment, especially if the BJP decides to join hands with the AIADMK to put the government on the mat. The BJP was busy outside Parliament with its human chain against rising prices.
But the temptation to train its guns on the prime minister may be too much for the main opposition party to resist when Parliament assembles again on Friday morning.
Maitreyan threatened to raise the issue again on Friday. A BJP source said the party will decide in the morning to what extent it will support the AIADMK charge in the Rajya Sabha. A Congress leader confessed that the government has been put on the defensive by Baalu’s brazen admission in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that he had indeed spoken to the petroleum ministry on behalf of his sons’ companies for out-of-turn gas allocations from the Cauvery basin.
Maitreyan pointed out that the admission is now a matter of record. “The government must take action,’’ he said.
The Congress party’s options are limited. Having followed a hands-off policy towards its allies since the UPA government was formed, it doesn’t dare get proactive now in the last year of its tenure.
At the same time, the heat from the scandal is too close for comfort, following revelations that the PMO had shot off as many as 10 letters over the past few months directing the petroleum ministry to release the requisite quantities of gas.
Ironically, the petroleum ministry listened neither to Baalu nor to the PMO.
