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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Gandhi and Vadra: Tale of two son-in-laws -Ashish Tripathi

Gandhi and Vadra: Tale of two son-in-laws -Ashish Tripathi

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published Published on Oct 17, 2012   modified Modified on Oct 17, 2012
-The Times of India

Robert Vadra is not a part of the 'mango people'. He is 'khas'. And, why not? He is son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, who is not only Congress president but also chairperson of the UPA coalition ruling the country. In other words, the most powerful person in India. Vadra is in the eye of the storm these days following allegations of amassing wealth by using his 'influence' to get 'favours' from a private company and through other 'corrupt means'.  Though he has denied allegations, we don't known whether he is right or wrong. And, since no probe has been ordered by the government, the truth will never come out.

However, the Congress leaders have come out in open defending Vadra. For them, by leveling allegations against Vadra, the India Against Corruption (IAC) and Opposition parties have attacked the Nehru-Gandhi family. This explains why the Congress leaders are vying with each other to target the IAC and the Opposition for daring to raise fingers at the first family of the party. The competition among the Congress leader is to show who is more loyal, not to the country, but to Sonia Gandhi. Ironically, nobody in the Congress today remembers the real "Gandhi" in the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty -- Feroze Gandhi.

A freedom fighter, true patriot, a politician and above all a self-respecting person, Feroze Gandhi was son-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. Nehru at that time was the most powerful person in the country but it could not deter Feroze to expose the first major financial scam  `Mundhra Scandal' of India in 1958. Despite being in the ruling party,  he disclosed in the Lok Sabha how a minister in Nehru cabinet flouted norms to make the government-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India purchase shares worth Rs 124 lakh of private companies belonging to the industrialist Haridas Mundhra.

The explosive disclosure led to a public outrage across the country and Nehru was forced to appoint a commission headed by retired chief justice of the Bombay high court, Justice MC Chagla, to probe the matter. The judge conducted the probe in an open place allowing `mango people' (aam aadami was khas then) to witness the hearing. The fair probe which lasted for two years led to imprisonment of the guilty. Today, closed-door inquiries have become a norm in which convictions and punishments are rare. Forget about an open hearing, the Congress leaders are not even ready to listen a word against Vadra.

The entire Mundhra episode was a big embarrassment for Nehru. The then finance minister was forced to resign. Nehru, it is believed, wanted to handle the matter secretly but Feroze blew the lid off. Indira had married Feroze against the wishes of her father. Later, the couple separated. When Feroze exposed the scam, many said that it was because of the strained relations. However, people who knew Feroze said that he did what his conscience told him to do. In fact, it was a golden opportunity for Feroze to bargain for political gains but he chose the right path. The stand added to the popularity of Feroze among masses.

Feroze was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh twice -- 1952 and 1957. He groomed the constituency and worked for the people. After his death, Indira made Rae Bareli her constituency. And, till date, if Rae Bareli and Amethi are stronghold of the Congress, it is because of Feroze. Today, Sonia Gandhi represents Rae Bareli and her son Rahul -- Amethi. But the family rarely gives credit to Feroze for their victory. It was unfortunate for the country that Feroze did not live long. He died at the age of 48 years. Had he been alive today, I wonder what he would have said on the Vadra issue.

Feroze was born rebel. He left comfortable life to fight for country's independence and was jailed several times. Apart from Mundhra scandal, Feroze exposed several other cases of corporate corruption. Lauding his revolutionary zeal, Mahatma Gandhi said that India can be free in seven days, if he has a few men like Feroze. When Feroze exposed the scam, Nehru had the guts to order probe and take action. But in case of Vadra, the Congress is not ready to hear even a single word against the first family. The worst part is that today not only the Congress but people of the country have also forgotten Feroze.

The Times of India, 16 October, 2012, http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Introspection/entry/gandhi-and-vadra-tale-of-two-son-in-laws


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