Bedi: Hyderabad is corruption capital
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Social activist Anna Hazare's ‘India Against Corruption’ team member Kiran Bedi on Wednesday described Hyderabad as the “corruption capital of the country”.
She demanded that the Centre immediately constitute a special investigation team to look into the charges against 15 ministers in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, including Presidential aspirant Pranab Mukherjee.
Ms Bedi, now in Hyderabad to mobilise public support for the ‘Aar ya Paar’, the proposed indefinite fast by IAC core committee members Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from July 25, asked why the government and the media were silent when former CM YSR and Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy amassed wealth.
Expressing shock at the huge spending in the byelections in AP, she said she received reports that in some places voters were paid as much as Rs 15,000 per family.
“I don't know who is buying and who is selling. Media and EC should know. People will have to pay a heavy price for accepting cash for votes.
The money meant to be spent on developmental works would be diverted by corrupt politicians to bribe voters. They should reject it," she said.
Stating that corruption was a matter of very serious concern, Ms Bedi sought a strong Jan Lokpal Bill, criminal justice system, a good and independent investigating agency and an independent and honest judiciary to stem the rot.
She observed that it was astonishing that crores of rupees had been given to a CBI Judge for granting bail to a mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, which underlines the need for an honest and independent judiciary.
In USA, a court settled a case of an Indian accused of insider trading in six weeks while in India, registering an FIR will take six weeks, she noted.
Ms Bedi said there was no going back on the indefinite fast, or the fight against corruption and black money since the UPA Government had failed to keep its promise to ensure a strong Lok Pal bill.
The IAC listed three main demands: constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with honest retired judges to look into charges of corruption against 15 Union Ministers and complete investigation within six months; all pending CBI cases against party supremos, such as Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Jayalalithaa etc should be taken away from the CBI and handed over to the SIT; and setting up fast track courts which will pass judgement within six months on allegations against 15 ministers.
"There are 15 enemies of Jan Lokpal. There are serious charges of corruption against 15 Union Ministers, including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, pertaining to Coal-gate. They will never let Jan Lokpal Bill be passed," Ms Bedi alleged.
As for the tainted MPs, the Lok Sabha has 162 and Rajya Sabha 39 of them. Of these, the Lok Sabha has 77 and Rajya Sabha 14 MPs against whom there are charges of heinous crimes, like murder, fraud and kidnapping, she added.
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