The two national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, which command a good following in Karnataka, are now into “diary politics”, as is being termed in political circles, with both of them quoting diaries of legislators which purportedly contain references of payments to their respective leaders in New Delhi.
Larger aim
The larger aim of the two political parties is to convey to the people of high-level corruption and also expose such activities.
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The day is not far off when this matter will take a serious turn.
While the diary being quoted by the BJP is reportedly that of K. Govindaraj, an influential legislator and close confidant of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah , the diary being mentioned by Congress leaders is that of the BJP legislator Lehar Singh, known for his proximity to the former Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa.
The latter has since stated that the allegations of the Congress leaders is far from the truth.
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Incidentally, both the diaries surfaced during a search operation by the Income Tax authorities and the cases are over a year old.
The role of some of the I-T Department personnel has also come under a cloud, with some of them reportedly using the diaries to serve personal interests.
It is therefore obvious that the two diaries have now come into play to serve the interests of some political leaders apart from some vested interests in the bureaucracy.
Sources said the Chief Secretary to the State government sought information on the diary of the Congress legislator and the I-T authorities quoting relevant rules and regulations have refused to part with any information.
Common knowledge
It is common knowledge that notes in diaries do not constitute evidence in a court of law and may at best help the revenue agencies in collating information leading to tax collection.
Ironically, political leaders in Karnataka are busy with one-upmanship over the notes even as all those who maintain such accounts do so with computer-backed memory cards such as pen drives and hard disks, which they believe can be safely kept out of the reach of tax men.
Tussle
Most of the tussle between the Congress and the BJP is being fought in the media largely to draw the attention of the people.
The leaders are well aware of the legal and constitutional steps that they can pursue in nailing the culprits.
It was not long ago that Congress leaders had filed a complaint with the then Governor against Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was the Chief Minister at that point, and action was initiated against the latter.
If serious with his complaint against the incumbent Chief Minister, Mr. Yeddyurappa can pursue the same path and move the office of the Governor.
Probe
The former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has also demanded a probe into the issue by the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other agency and has said that both the diaries should be submitted to such an investigation.
This demand is also unlikely to be accepted as a case can be referred to the CBI only by the State government as per the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishments Act.
Given the manner in which the diary controversy has developed, there is every likelihood that this controversy will continue until the next round of Legislative Assembly elections.
Political parties need ways to garner votes and this is one way the attention of the people can be drawn, more so, since corruption has touched a new high in Karnataka.
( The writer is Resident Representative, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Bengaluru )