In today's TOI we learn that the world's largest drinks company Diageo paid $1.7 million in bribes to government officials in India who were responsible for purchasing or authorising sale of its brands and thus made a profit of $11 million. The company also paid bribes in Thailand and Korea. It has agreed to pay $ 13.3 million of its profits along with a penalty of $ 3 million to settle the charges out of court. It is great to read of a multi national being penalised for corrupt practices but the sad thing is that its punishment is not in India where it committed its acts but in the US where the SEC discovered the bribes and determined the punishment. In India civil servants can only be prosecuted if politicians grant permission which, since they are partners in crime, is seldom granted. Our most revered Prime Minister has revealed why criminals are never punished in India. In response to the threat of opposition MPs accusing the Congress of corruption in the just started monsoon session of Parliament the Prime Minister said," We are not afraid of discussing the issue of corruption. The Opposition also has too many skeletons in its cupboard." Very interesting comments. By saying " also " the Prime Minister admits that Congress is corrupt but seeks to justify it by throwing mud at the Opposition. Recently some politicians belonging to another party in UP have been charged with rape. Would the Prime Minister condone acts of rape by Congress fellows because some other politicians had done it? This is the man that our freeloading press is always praising as the most honest and the greatest economist in history. The economy is collapsing and crime exploding. We know why.