Manmohan Singh Vow to Fight against Corruption

It was a curious balancing game that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, played at the coalition's anniversary dinner on Sunday. It was carefully and clearly designed to keep the UPA flock together.

So even as the PM made politically correct noises about the need for probity in public life and talked about the preventive measures to be taken by his government, it was clear that he was leaving the issue of 2G and CWG scams to the courts. Just as it was left to Sonia Gandhi to tackle and woo the coalition partners, which she did throughout the evening.

Whether it was on the stage from where the UPA-II's second report card was released or the dinner that followed, Gandhi ensured that the only DMK leader at the show, T R Baalu, sat next to her and got all her attention. The possibility of the DMK members not turning up at the UPA bash had obviously had its effect on the Congress psyche. Baalu, interestingly, was the sole representative of the DMK. None of the DMK Ministers were to be found.

Despite his presence, Prime Minister Singh did very pointedly say that "the UPA government is determined to take corrective action" so that "such developments (2G and CWG)" do not take place "in future" and that he was considering steps to reduce "discretionary and arbitrary use of power in public officials".

But the subtle message to the southern ally was in the fine-print of the PM's speech: "The due processes of law are already in motion." That it was the courts and not his government which was handling the legal probe.

--
Mahi