Trounce corruption militancy’s mother

Jammu, July 25: Kashmir militancy is not ebbing for we keep beating wrong horse. It was to do with corrupt establishment, we let very corrupt mislead the way thief mixing with crowd cries ‘thief’ ‘thief’. It’s time to trounce corruption, militancy mother, resetting governance priorities, said S.S. Bijral former IGP, BJP state spokesperson.

Had Cong not unseated Farooq Abdullah led majority govt on July 2, 1984 with 12 MLAs led by G.M. Shah, his estranged brother in law, defecting, the corruption would not have been this monstrous. Cong dismissed G M Shah, shared power with Farooq Abdullah as CM four months before notorious 1987 rigged assembly elections. That turned governance topsy-turvy. Aggrieved voters revolted against Rajiv Gandhi led Indian govt and Farooq Abdullah shedding docile image of ‘Kashmiri hato’. State plunged under President rule from 1990 to 1996, grieved Bijral.

 Bemoaning spokesperson said state funds enriched corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who in turn sustained militancy. Corruption thrived marring people faith in political system. Separatists raised their hoarse voice for the world. Transparency International rated Mufti Syed led state in 2005 third most corrupt. People voted Omar Abdullah led NC government in 2008, a new face. He in 2011 got state distinction of ‘alarmingly corrupt’. Modi sweeping general elections in 2014, people voted for BJP in Jammu and PDP in valley hoping with central liberal support J&K would get out of painful morass and corruption. Lamenting Bijral said Syed Mufti and Mehbooba Mufti in driver’s seat failed at governance and law and order front. No wonder, the reinstatement back of nearly all 60 govt employees dismissed as corrupt and deadwood in 2014, faking honesty drive, reveal well the rulers intentions, said Bijral.

Former senior cop wondered any CM set to root out corruption in alarmingly corrupt state would keep its cutting institutions of State Accountability Commission, Chief Vigilance Commission, State Vigilance Organisation ineffective, headless besides keeping their recommendations, wherever , in cold storage. State’s plea in apex court against Lok Ayukta is it has for it has these three institutions to do the job.

Lamenting, spokesperson said political and bureaucratic corruption siphoned off state resources unabashedly leaving youth jobless, frustration in atmosphere of lawlessness, neglect of governance temples. Asserting Corruption is state’s biggest failing, mother of all ills, Bijral recalled truth in Mehbooba Mufti saying 95% innocent population is hostage to 5% miscreants. High time to trounce this devil.