First it was her religion, then her relatives and then
her illness and now her income tax returns. Sonia Gandhi has consistently
refused to reveal details regarding these.
The latest first. According to a report in The Times of India, Sonia Gandhi
refused to provide the details of her income-tax returns of the past ten
years, demanded by V Gopalakrishnan, an RTI activist from Chennai. She
claimed that this information, submitted to the IT office was confidential
and disclosure of this would amount to “unwarranted invasion” of the
individual’s privacy. She even cited security reasons for not furnishing
the details.
She had earlier refused to reveal her religion, claiming it was a personal
matter and need not be made public. This, when the government routinely has
this column in all the forms. Even in nursery school admissions, one has to
mention the religion. Her educational qualifications (if any) too are
closely guarded secrets.
When Sonia Gandhi “fell ill” and went abroad allegedly for treatment
apparently on government expense, any information was denied to the public
on the ground that we must respect her “privacy.” The media played along in
such reverential obedience. If public money had been spent on her, it has
to be accounted for and the citizens of the country have a right to know
how much and why the money was spent; if the treatment she received abroad
was not available in India etc.
Some time ago, a RTI had been raised demanding to know the foreign
relatives who are staying with Sonia Gandhi in her official residence and
their periods of stay in India. The issue was suppressed, taking the plea
that it was a “private issue.”
Subramanyan Swami, who has constantly sought to bring to light the several
instances of abuse of power by Sonia Gandhi has been rebuffed time and
again by the courts and other agencies. On 23 February the CBI, before whom
Swamy’s plea for investigating Sonia Gandhi’s role in Bofors scandal was
pending, dismissed it saying that a closure report has been filed in the
case and it cannot be reopened. The CBI also gave a clean chit to her
saying “no connection whatsoever” was found between the case and Mrs Gandhi.
Not only she, but all her immediate relatives enjoy amnesty from law. The
police did not carry any investigation worth its name into the cases of
unnatural death of at least three family members of Sonia Gandhi’s
son-in-law Robert Vadhera. His brother, sister and father died untimely and
unexplained. The matter was hushed up with even our blood-hound media
maintaining silence.
All these things raise the valid question: Is Sonia Gandhi above the Indian
law? (FOC)
her illness and now her income tax returns. Sonia Gandhi has consistently
refused to reveal details regarding these.
The latest first. According to a report in The Times of India, Sonia Gandhi
refused to provide the details of her income-tax returns of the past ten
years, demanded by V Gopalakrishnan, an RTI activist from Chennai. She
claimed that this information, submitted to the IT office was confidential
and disclosure of this would amount to “unwarranted invasion” of the
individual’s privacy. She even cited security reasons for not furnishing
the details.
She had earlier refused to reveal her religion, claiming it was a personal
matter and need not be made public. This, when the government routinely has
this column in all the forms. Even in nursery school admissions, one has to
mention the religion. Her educational qualifications (if any) too are
closely guarded secrets.
When Sonia Gandhi “fell ill” and went abroad allegedly for treatment
apparently on government expense, any information was denied to the public
on the ground that we must respect her “privacy.” The media played along in
such reverential obedience. If public money had been spent on her, it has
to be accounted for and the citizens of the country have a right to know
how much and why the money was spent; if the treatment she received abroad
was not available in India etc.
Some time ago, a RTI had been raised demanding to know the foreign
relatives who are staying with Sonia Gandhi in her official residence and
their periods of stay in India. The issue was suppressed, taking the plea
that it was a “private issue.”
Subramanyan Swami, who has constantly sought to bring to light the several
instances of abuse of power by Sonia Gandhi has been rebuffed time and
again by the courts and other agencies. On 23 February the CBI, before whom
Swamy’s plea for investigating Sonia Gandhi’s role in Bofors scandal was
pending, dismissed it saying that a closure report has been filed in the
case and it cannot be reopened. The CBI also gave a clean chit to her
saying “no connection whatsoever” was found between the case and Mrs Gandhi.
Not only she, but all her immediate relatives enjoy amnesty from law. The
police did not carry any investigation worth its name into the cases of
unnatural death of at least three family members of Sonia Gandhi’s
son-in-law Robert Vadhera. His brother, sister and father died untimely and
unexplained. The matter was hushed up with even our blood-hound media
maintaining silence.
All these things raise the valid question: Is Sonia Gandhi above the Indian
law? (FOC)
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