Coalition Is No Excuse in Curbing Corruption; Vakil

KL Report 

Srinagar

Reacting sharply to the recent statement of chief minister Omar Abdullah that tackling corruption in a coalition government was an ‘’impossible’’ task, former minister and member AICC Abdul Gani Vakil today in a statement expressed shock and surprise over the statement. Omar had said that coalition governments would not be able to fight corruption as many compromises have to be made in a coalition set-up.

Vakil called statement of Omar as irresponsible and said that it seems that Omar Abdullah has completely surrendered before the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who are looting the state exchequer at their whim. He said that “coalition” is no excuse and can not be any hurdle in curbing corruption if one is determined to uproot corruption from the system.

Such statements, Vakil said demoralizes honest and dedicated persons who are fighting a virtual war against corruption. In a state where chief minster prefers to drop sanction against corrupt ministers or keeps sitting on files of corrupt bureaucrats or ministers then only fight against this menace gets weakened and this is what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir State.

The former minister said that despite being in coalition and that too of many parties the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government did not hesitate in taking action against top bureaucrats and ministers. In some cases many politicians and bureaucrats were even sent behind bars which set at rest the statement of chief minister Omar Abdullah that in an era of coalition corruption can not be fought.

He urged the chief minister Omar Abdullah to not to kneel down before corrupt and instead show some spine to deal with such corrupt people and land grabbers who are eating into the vitals of the society.

“Chief Minister instead of bending before this mafia must act tough and not show his helplessness in dealing with corrupt,” Vakil said.

“This is strange that many ministers and bureaucrats against whom cases were established in SAC had managed to get a stay from the high court,” he added.
Vakil stressed upon chief minister to restrain from issuing such statements for which they demoralize the party cadre as well as those working in the system.