February 15, 2011

Manmohan Singh - Lame Duck Interview

The prime minister purportedly engaged with the broadcast media. PM was in the back foot after the event was announced. Economist Bibek Debroy had mentioned that questions had been demanded in advance hardly the way for a transparent person to operate. Earlier, ex-Telecom Minister, Arun Shourie had highlighted that he had informed not just the Prime Minister but also provided facts to the CBI on the 2G scam. CBI after the investigations, in stead of prosecuting the corrupt had ended up transferring the investigating officer.

Engagement by and large was farcical with Manmohan repeating cliches. As expectedly Radia media - IBN, NDTV, etc obliged by not asking serious question and dealt in bland generalities. Arun Poorie did ask one big question - why he took A Raja in his cabinet in 2009 despite knowing Raja's corruption credentials, a question that was answered in obfuscations & generalities.

Manmohan's engagement with the media not surprisingly followed the script which which was cited as CON party's corruption defence strategy - Pass the buck to opposition BJP, make purfunctary noises against corruption, and leverage short term memory of the public to cover up corruption.

What was most appaling in the PM's engagement were the following:

PM's feigned ignorance on A Raja's corruption. Since late 2008, matter of A Raja's corruption was in the public domain. The man by doing this defended Gangothri of Corruption Sonia G, CON party lead and UPA Chairperson.
PM's Comparing food grains or fertilizer subsidy as loss and attempt to justify spectrum theft and loot from tax-payer insults the intelligence of common Indian.
The Radia media's steadfast refusal to ask PM question on why there was no action on Arun Shourie's update to him and subsequent transfer of CBI investigating officer who found out the truth.
PM's citing Coalition Dharma to justify corruption

PM did make a few important specific points:

PM implicated Finance Ministry in the 2G scam. Highlighted that the key decisions were made by Telecom and Finance Ministries. P Chidambaram was heading Finance Ministry that time.
I am not going away. This again seemed a message to pretenders inside Congress Party.
BJP not agreeing to harmonise tax systems because of their demanding an appropriate price - And referred to a Gujarat Minister case. Most would believe this as Amit Shah investigation case.

Funny part of PM's engagement was to watch some known corrupt media-waalas ask questions on corruption. A perception was created that media was actively exposing corruption. Earlier we had highlighted big media's poor coverage on 2G scam.

Tailpiece: And we have not heard the last on 2G loot. it is interesting that PM has invited Shri Arun Shourie to his home for a coffee over the weekend.