| Page 2 of 2 < |
With Indian Politics, the Bad Gets Worse
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
A 2007 survey by Transparency International India found that the nation's poor had paid about $206 million for public services.
Still, for all the expectations of corruption, Tuesday's developments were shocking.
"What happened in Parliament is a utter disgrace," said R.H. Tahiliani, chairman of the New Delhi branch of Transparency International. "But here the citizen is the victim. He pays to gain services that he is entitled to. The parliamentary dignitaries should set far better examples."
On Wednesday, several political parties announced an alliance to oppose the government. At a meeting, Mayawati, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state -- she is also under investigation for corruption -- accused the government of "murdering democracy."
L.K. Advani, the leader of the main opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters the government will soon fall after such public skulduggery.
"The whole thing is so scandalous. It reeks of muck. The scam will affect India's robust image as a democracy," Advani said. "The common people will soon want to give the government a holiday.
The accusations have served to blemish the once-unsoiled reputation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Singh, an economist, acknowledged that he is "extremely sad" at the allegations. He has sworn that his Congress party will cooperate in any inquiry into the allegations.
In New Delhi cafes, Indians gathered around televisions said in interviews that they enjoyed the political spectacle -- it was sheer soap opera, after all. Still, they were starting to notice that, with inflation at record highs here, all the political bickering may well be a poor use of time.
Achar Thirumala Chari, 46, a manager of a hotel, had had enough.
"I wish they used the same passion to actually solve poverty," Chari said as he watched the news on a hot afternoon. "Meanwhile, we waste time and, in this case, more and more money."
Special correspondent Ria Sen contributed to this report.
