One eyed justice.

There have been allegations of massive theft in the Maharashtra irrigation department amounting to loss of Rs 700 billion. Mr Ajit Pawar, of the Nationalist Congress Party has been irrigation minister for years but had to resign in September following the allegations until the government of Maharashtra published a white paper saying that he was whiter than driven snow so he has been reinstated into his old job. TOI, 2 January. Maharashtra is being ruled by an alliance of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party which is headed by Mr Sharad Pawar, who is the Minister of Agriculture in Delhi, and Mr Ajit Pawar is his nephew. Under severe pressure from the opposition the Chief Minister promised to set up a Special Investigative Tribunal or SIT by 31 December but has been unable to do so because the government cannot formulate the terms of reference for the SIT due to objections from the NCP. Where in the world would a man accused of  presiding over a massive loss of Rs 700 billion be taken back in his old job, and not some other portfolio, and then be allowed to delay the formation of an investigating team other than in India? " There is a difference of opinion among the coalition partners, Congress-NCP on what should be the terms of reference for the probe. Thus the DF government failed to keep its promise," a senior DF minister said. DF stands for Democratic Front which explains why there is so much democracy in trying to catch criminals. Contrast that with Gujarat which has a BJP government with Mr Narendra Modi as Chief Minister. There a commission was set up in March of 2002 following the riots in February. In May Mr Nanavati was appointed chairman of the commission which got its 19th, yes 19th, extension this month by the state government. That the commission has been unable to publish its report is because it has not been able to examine evidence collected by an investigating tribunal which concluded its work in 2011. The governor of Gujarat has also appointed a Lokyukta in the state. A Lokyukta is an independent investigating authority which is empowered to look into any case of corruption. The Lokyukta in Karnataka was responsible for the exposure of the mining scam involving the Reddy brothers leading to the resignation of the Chief Minister, Yadyurappa. Needless to say Karnataka also has a BJP government. It is wonderful how there are so many investigative agencies in states ruled by the BJP but not in those ruled by the Congress or its allies. Indeed the central government has not been able to set up a Lokpal at the center to monitor its own activities. Instead protesters have been beaten up, one died, and false allegations have been filed against civil society activists. Is it any wonder that people think that they will get away with any crime, however bestial? Justice is supposed to be blind. Not one eyed.