If PM does not act before September 20 and ensure chargesheets get filed against the trio, PC will be laughing all the way to the bank

The former Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram (PC) continues to re-affirm my description of him as an evil genius. He is beginning to show who really controls the babudom in North Block and South Block if reports are to be believed. Prime Minister Modi needs to act now or it is game over for sending VVIPs to jail. The entire chain of people who conspired in the Aircel Maxis scam has to be brought to book or Mr. Chidambaram will escape the clutches of law. All the years of hard work put in will go waste. It will be 2G scam all over again.

To know more, a look at what the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) needs to do in order to prosecute the babus named in its charge sheet in the Aircel Maxis case (Ashok Chawla, Ashok Jha and Sanjay Krishna and others)[1].

How are these officers involved?

When the Aircel-Maxis approval came up in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), PC knew that if this proposal was put up in front of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), it would be denied because of the links of one of the promoters of Maxis with Pakistan. So it had to be approved without putting it up to the CCEA. This is where the role of these officers is alleged and hence it is essential that they be prosecuted as part of the scam or PC will escape.

Govt needs to approve prosecution of IAS officers

In order for the CBI to prosecute the above officers, the government must approve it. But now it is emerging from unconfirmed sources that some of the highest bureaucrats in the North Block and South Block are warning the Prime Minister (PM) that if these three are allowed to be prosecuted, the entire Indian Administrative Services (IAS) cadre will revolt. It is not as if the wheels of bureaucracy are spinning smoothly now anyway. Plus many have been putting obstacles in the way of those who want to do the right thing. Dr. Swamy had already hinted how a group is helping PC from the inside:

It is the dying croak of the pro PC bureaucratic syndicate. We cannot fight against corruption as long as the G4 is situated in high power positions — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 12, 2018

Last stand of PC

Is this the last stand for the former Finance Minister? Has he bestowed “favors” on many in the babudom that he is threatening to expose them now, if they don’t tow the line? The writing on the wall is clear for the current government. Jailing VVIPs is going to make a difference of 100 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections. It is time for the PM to call their bluff and do the right thing. Will he?

References:

[1] CBI files charge sheet against P Chidambaram, Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case – Jul 19, 2018, Economic Times