Corruption in India

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Let me clarify

I meant Lalu (was) and Mayawati are symbols of lower class empowerment, more about individual pride.

A community which has been subjugated for 2000years now is in control of the state !

It's a different story that Laloo was not able to actually uplift the state of the lower classes and that's why he got booted out (Nitish is doing the job quite well right?), Mayawati willprobably meet the same fate if she follows Laloo's path.

But do realize, it took people ~20 years to shed (atleast some) their insecurities and boot out Laloo. Perception matters

Sorry..but no matter who the basic problem is that in India at least from my humble observation if I may say so..its not the matter who..there is absolutely NO and again NO sign or ethos whatsoever of accountability. Its basically whosoever gets the power or position has no sense or even an perception of accountability basically answerable to no one and in the end nothing happens. The masses get taken for a ride after a ride to be honest does the uneducated guy who voted the ex-telecom minister in power can he even phantom $35 billion even I cant.. can he or his village ever believe or even read the newspaper I doubt it. This is the exactly the vote base of these people and unless there is no education $35 Billion is the start as the man who votes the crook doesn't and will not no he or she is a crook. More or less in my eyes a democratic version of a feudal system

Also I wonder again what's the point I wonder of bringing these corruption cases or issues to light as the track record is that basically every one more or less has gone scot free

 

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The man who felled a king​

November 17, 2010 10:03:34 AM

Chandan Mitra | New Delhi

The Pioneer felicitates J Gopikrishnan, who unearthed the spectrum scam


The Pioneer Investigative Team asked Gopi to unravel his journey from a fledgling political reporter to giant killer. Excerpts from a chat:

Q: How did you come across the 2G scam story?

A: We sensed a scam when Swan and Unitech started offloading shares at whopping prices of `4,500 crore and `6,200 crore in September 2008. Bureau chief Navin Upadhyay asked me to dig for information and luckily we got a great whistleblower, who knew the ins and outs of the Telecom Ministry. He once told me the PM was totally unhappy with Raja and had summoned him to ask what was going on.

Slowly, the whistleblower narrated the entire range of corruption in the Ministry. Those days, Minister Raja was making false claims that he had followed his predecessors. This young Government officer told me about the parking of funds in front companies by the Minister and his associates in the name of relatives. He told me who the actual beneficiaries of the scam were, including corporates, politicians and lobbyists.

This officer asked me to talk to my Editor and get his consent and only then would he reveal further. The Editor told me to go ahead and the whistleblower became a goldmine of hidden information for The Pioneer. Days and nights of discussion and checking the authenticity of facts happened in his office and at many crowded places in the city, once it became important to avoid detection.

Q: Which was the first story you did and what was the reaction?

A: After finding out the gamut of front companies dealing in real estate, we decided to expose Raja’s ill-gotten wealth. Chandan Mitra and Navin Upadhyay saw all documents and decided to go ahead with the series. The first story appeared on December 11, 2008, on Raja’s main real estate front company, Green House Promoters. The details of other companies and hidden irregularities in the spectrum scam were published over the following days.

Q: Did you come under pressure to stop the campaign? How did you ward them off?

A: I met Raja after the first report, as directed by the Editor. He alleged that I was being funded by his rivals in the party and even told me some names. He was visibly shaken asking me how I got the details of his personal assets. He requested me to avoid writing. My reply was that I had been deputed by the Editor only to take his version, nothing else. Raja agreed to speak, but repeatedly requested me to stop writing further on this. Similarly, many corporate groups were after me with the same plea. I must say none threatened or behaved badly.

Those days, Raja was planning to conduct the 3G auction at cheap base rates without Cabinet’s approval. Many agents from the corporate sector requested us to stop our series of exposes, saying our reports would force the Government to refer the 3G auction to an EGoM. We told them that was exactly what we wanted. But I must say some friends with contacts in high places warned me I may be targeted. It was a hidden warning, which I ridiculed. It would not be fair to reveal what kind of offers were made by different entities to avoid the 3G issue going to an EGoM. But finally, the Cabinet referred it to an EGoM, which put Raja out of the picture and the nation netted `1.06 lakh crore.

Q: Did any political or corporate entity offer you financial inducements to stop writing on this?

A: Yes, they did. The figures were mind-boggling. Corporate lobbyists and Raja’s people even asked me to stop informing the Editor and end the series abruptly. I told them even the meeting with them was in the knowledge of the Editor and the Bureau chief. Some shameless fellows tried to access Raja, claiming friendship with me. Some were acting as double agents. One top lobbyist was actually a double agent. That person was leaking information against Raja while providing information to him too. Pressure on the whistleblower was enormous by now, but he stood by us fearlessly. There were several politicians who enlightened and encouraged me. Some bureaucrats and police officials also guided our investigations.

Q: Do you think the matter will end with Raja’s resignation or will more heads roll?

A: I personally feel the court cases filed by Subramanian Swamy and Prashant Bhushan would come to logical conclusions, leading to the cancellation of all licences which were found illegal by CAG. The court may direct auctions to be held like the old petrol pump scam of Satish Sharma. I don’t expect anything from the Government in this matter. Some persons, including Raja, may face the wrath of the law. I don’t think anything harsh will happen to corporates from the Government’s side. After the CAG report and PAC findings, if the Government has the willpower, it can -- by executive order -- cancel all licences and order auction, which will definitely fetch around `2-3 lakh crore.

Q: How do you think the Government can make the spectrum policy transparent and above board?

A: Spectrum management should be handed over to ISRO, but no politician would like that for obvious reasons. In India, spectrum is not yet audited. No one knows how much spectrum is available. This was purposefully done for making easy money. First the Government should ask an organisation like ISRO to audit spectrum availability in all departments. Only then will transparency come.

Q: After Telecom what? Do you have more targets in mind?

A: No idea. I felt totally exhausted upon learning of Raja’s resignation. I was expecting good news on Sunday, when sources told me Pranab Mukherjee had firmly asked Karunanidhi at 11.30 am to remove Raja. This was doubly confirmed when they later said Raja was forced to sign the papers around 5.30 pm. Anyway, no idea what’s for me next…life will go on. I was covering Health and Left (parties) those days. By a stroke of luck, Raja came on our radar…

The Pioneer :: Home : >> The man who felled a king

 

[Rumporum]

Epilogue: Man who felled a King but in the end the king was the one who went laughing all the way to the bank. aka. kept all the money.

 

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Barkha dutt in scoop in 2-G scam.here are yhe taped conversation.

Conversations with Power Brokers - transcripts from the Open Mag​

India, Media, News, Politics, SocietyAdd comments
Nov18,2010
Open – The Magazine has transcripts & audio files between Barkha Dutt and Niira Radia – the reason I am putting it up here is that the Open Magazine servers have crashed ….

The audio files can be found here here.To those at Open Mag – if you feel that I am violating your copyright, drop me a line – will take down this post

As talks between the DMK and Congress (‘them’) broke down over joining the Government in May 2009, Radia was actively involved in opening channels between the two parties through, among others, television journalist Barkha Dutt

AUDIO TAPES HERE

Nira Radia gets fresh Enforcement Directorate notices - India - DNA

 

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Phonegate: India Inc tapped?​

Copy of a purportedly leaked report says conversations of topmost industrialists, two senior journalists, were tapped with home secretary's permission

Politicians may not be the only ones whose phones are being tapped. Government agencies seem to be eavesdropping on the biggest names of corporate India. A 2009 report drags a few senior journalists into the controversy as well.

Tapes and the tales
Sensational points touched in the copy of the phone intercept report include:
>>The bid to buy out Haldia Petrochemicals by one of India's topmost industrialists by 'managing' senior CPI(M) leaders
>>How the same industrialist controls a news channel through consultants as his front
>>How in Jharkhand, a leading industrialist got the lease of a mine extended by paying Rs 180 crore to a tainted minister
>>How two rival industrialists lobbied to prevent Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja from becoming telecom minister respectively
>>Senior mediapersons lobbied on behalf of industrialists to secure ministerial berths for friendly politicians

 

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The Taps Leak​

There definitely seems to be a bug in the air.

Last week, Outlookreported on how using new technology, the government could - and was - eavesdropping into the conversations of important political leaders without needing legal authorisation

Yesterday, the Pioneer (Pioneer has either taken down this story or their servers have crashed giving alternate link)reported that by "authorised tapping of telephones of several persons, including Nira Radia, who runs several public relations and consultancy companies — like Vaishnavi Corporate Consultants, Noesis Strategic Consulting Services, Vitcom Consulting and Neucom Consulting", the government had "unearthed damning evidence of wheeling-dealing in the spectrum scam" involving telecom minister A. Raja. The finance ministry has since issued a denial.

Today, in the MiD-DaY, quoting perhaps from the same set of documents that had been doing the rounds for months in Delhi, and had been the basis of the Pioneer report, J. Dey reported:

“The documents talk about individuals influencing policy changes at the highest level. It also says that two senior journalists—one a well-known anchor of a national television channel and the other a former editor, columnist and TV personality—lobbied on behalf of industrialists to secure ministerial berths for friendly politicians.”

Meanwhile, late last night The Hindu first put up a 14-page document (link has been taken down) , which seemed to be the basis of the Pioneer story, which had been doing the rounds earlier, and then took it off with the following clarification:

A press release on the 2G scam was issued by AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa in Chennai on April 28, 2010. The Hindu is unable to verify the authenticity of a 14-page document purporting to be an official account of intercepted phone conversations and is, therefore, taking it off its website.

The same unverified document downloaded from the Hindu had apparently also been put up on at least one Scribd account [the settings have since been changed to private] with some excitement on Twitter [eg hereand hereand here]. One of the journalists whose name had been mentioned in the unauthenticated document and who had rubbished the charges last night has since clarified with more details after the report was taken off by the Hindu:

Postscript: April 30: The DNA newspaper summarises the spectrum controversy, seemingly based on the same impugned document that remains unauthenticated and unofficial and had been taken off by the Hindu from its website:

Tata Sons, represented by Neera Radia, have issued a press statement through her agency Neucom Consulting.

“The Tata group has had a long and fruitful association with Vaishnavi Corporate Communications and its chairperson Ms Niira Radia, which has added substantial value to the group’s communications and public perception.

“All of Vaishnavi’s interactions with the government on behalf of the Tata group have been related to seeking a level playing field and equity in areas where vested interests have caused distortions or aberrations in policy.

“Further Vaishnavi’s interactions with the Government on behalf of the Tata group, have, in keeping with Tata values, never involved payouts or seeking undue favors.”

OUTLOOK - Blogs

Download Tapes.

 

[Rumporum]

Barkha dutt in scoop in 2-G scam.here are yhe taped conversation.


AUDIO TAPES HERE

Nira Radia gets fresh Enforcement Directorate notices - India - DNA

This happens and has happened again and again it doesn't really matter what the news says or the media says.Bottom line is Nothing..nothing is going happen afterwards thats the bloody attitude in this country robbers go scot free..as much as i hate to say this thats very unfortunately the truth...everything goes or who cares is the attitude.

I can probably have the presidents palace or Rashtrapati bhavan from Delhi moved to Nahriya stone by stone if I could afford to pay the right person.

 

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List of Documents from CBI and IT deptt.


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J Gopikrishnan: 2G Spectrum Scandal : A.Raja - Nira Radia conspiracies : TAPPED and TRAPPED

 

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Audio and Transcript of Radia +Vir Sanghvi​

“WHAT KIND OF STORY DO YOU WANT? BECAUSE THIS WILL GO AS COUNTERPOINT, SO IT WILL BE LIKE MOST-MOST READ...” —VIR SANGHVI

VIR SANGHVI “I WON’T GET INTO SONIA IN THE SHORT TERM, LET ME TRY AND GET THROUGH TO AHMED”

NIIRA RADIA “THANKS…THAT WAS REALLY GREAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL, I MEAN IT WAS EXACTLY AS YOU HAD SAID”

 

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Radia + Kani Audio tapes and transcripts​

“PRIME MINISTER IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, VERY SOFT-SPOKEN, AND DAD CAN’T HEAR VERY CLEARLY ALSO.” —KANIMOZHI
“MM-HMM” —RADIA
NIIRA RADIA “MY GOD. YOU KNOW HE IS WATCHING EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING”

KANIMOZHI “HOW DO I MAKE HIM [KARUNANIDHI] UNDERSTAND? I KEEP TELLING, HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND.”

KANIMOZHI “YEAH, YEAH. I’M JUST SAYING BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE HE’S TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY FROM THE CONGRESS [TO] SAY THINGS AGAINST RAJA TO DAD.”

KANIMOZHI “BUT THIS GUY [MARAN] IS THE ONE WHO WANTS TELECOM AND HE IS SPREADING RUMOURS, BUT I DON’T THINK EVEN THE DMK IS INTERESTED IN GIVING HIM TELECOM”

KANIMOZHI “MAYBE I’LL ASK FOR ENVIRONMENT. ENVIRONMENT THEY WON’T GIVE, HEALTH THEY WON’T GIVE, YOU KNOW”

 

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Radia+Raja leaked tapes and transcripts​

In this set of conversations, Raja has a message to be relayed to the chief of Bharti Airtel, even as Niira Radia appears to advise him to keep a distance from the chief of Reliance Communications, Anil Ambani, in the apparent interests of policy neutrality in the telecom sector

“Tell Sunil Mittal, you have to work with Raja”
RADIA “WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS THEY WILL NOT GIVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BAALU AND MARAN. THEY SHOULD SAY THAT DIRECTLY TO LEADER, NO?”

A discussion on perceptions of Raja’s capabilities, the DMK patriarch’s senility (as it seems), his son Alagiri’s attitude and other things of mind, and their implications.

A RAJA “I KNOW. SO WHO PLANTED IN THE MINDS OF THE CONGRESS THAT AZHAGIRI DOESN’T KNOW ENGLISH. I KNOW”

In this phone conversation, Raja is keen to know from Niira Radia if his ‘case is clear’. She affirms as much, and advises him on being ‘neutral’.

NIIRA RADIA “YOURS IS CLEAR, YEAH. YOUR CASE WAS CLEARED LAST NIGHT ONLY”

---------- Post added at 03:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 AM ----------

Transcript and audio tapes of Tata+Radia​

“Yeah, I met Raja today. He is a happy man. The Chief Justice has given his clearance on him and he’s happy” —NIIRA RADIA

“Does he know that the other guy is gunning for him?” —RATAN TATA

DATE 7 July 2009 TIME 20:29:07

 

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Barkha Dutt in conversation with Nira Radia (lobyist?) openly discussing portfolios. Nira on DMK's and Barkha on Congress's behalf.

[video=youtube;Rg0vYQBW0uI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XrJqgtKvAs]YouTube - Barkha Dutt Nira Radia Exposed Tape 3[/url] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg0vYQBW0uI[/video

 

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Wiretap on lobbyists, journalists reveal backroom deals​

New Delhi: Days after the resignation of A. Raja as communications minister over the 2G spectrum scandal, Open magazine has uploaded on its website what it claims are phone chats among leading lobbyists, industrialists, politicians and journalists, giving a sneak peek into what it says are the 'networks of power' reflecting 'how this country is run'.

The transcripts of conversations on the website -- both as transcripts and audio filed -- pertain to the time after 2009 elections when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was putting together the ministerial list.

The bulk of the conversations purportedly refer to the intense lobbying -- and even counter-lobbying -- that went into securing ministerial berths for members of the DMK and how each person in the fray was trying to outdo the other.

The introduction to what are called X-Tapes, on the website of the magazine brought by the RPG Group, says: 'The phone lines of the head of Vaishnavi Communication, Niira Radia, were twice placed under surveillance by the Income Tax Department (based on a tip-off by the Central Board of Direct Taxes) for a few months in 2008 and 2009. Niira Radia is a woman of formidable networking and PR skills, so much so that she represents both the Tata and the Mukesh Ambani group. Some of these recorded phone conversations are now available with Open; they were placed before the Supreme Court this week by petitioners Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by senior counsel Prashant Bhushan.

'He had moved the Supreme Court with a plea that the 2G spectrum investigation that involves Raja should be monitored by the Court in view of the mounting evidence.'

Quoting the petitioners, it said: 'These conversations were given by the Directorate of Income Tax (Investigations) to the CBI more than a year back. A copy of the taped conversations of Radia with Respondent No. 5 (A. Raja), other politicians, Ratan Tata, other corporates, senior journalists and certain middlemen in a CD are annexed as Annexure P35... Some of the transcripts of the conversations which relate to the lobbying for making Respondent No. 5 as Telecom Minister are annexed as Annexure P36.'

These recordings, which appear to be only a small part of the recordings made available by the IT department to the CBI, were made in the period of surveillance from May 11, 2009 to July 11, 2009, the magazine said.

It went on to say that the magazine was in no position to endorse the contents of the recordings. But as the material was now in the public domain, it was placing them on record. It said the transcripts formed 'just a small part of the information contained in the recordings submitted to the court'.

The magazine did not make any attempt to get the versions of the personalities named in the transcript.

In response to a mail from IANS, Open editor Manu Joseph said: 'I am confident of the authenticity of the tapes. Otherwise we would not have carried the story.

'Also, the transcripts are from a set of recordings that have been presented as evidence in the Supreme Court in a petition filed Nov 15 by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation.'

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Here are the recorded conversations

Home | OPEN Magazine

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NDTV on defamatory remarks against Barkha Dutt​

In response to the Open Magazine cover story dated 20th November, 2010 NDTV would like to object in the strongest terms to the clear misrepresentation of conversations between Barkha Dutt and Ms. Nira Radia, that took place in May 2009.

In the pursuit of news and information, journalists talk to an array of people from all professional backgrounds; this case being an an unfolding political story on cabinet formation, after the general elections.

To caricature the professional sourcing of information as "lobbying" is not just baseless, but preposterous. (

At every stage effective journalism involves engagement with a multitude of characters in the process of gathering news and information. To call this process "lobbying" is a serious and defamatory distortion of journalistic practices.

Ironically, when Barkha Dutt raised this smear campaign with the magazine's editor, Manu Joseph, these are the responses she got.

1. "Dear Barkha; thats not true. I can send a copy of the magazine to you right away or you can check the story on the website. We have carried the Radia transcripts which include some of your conversations with her. In fact there is not much remarkable and you will not be embarrassed by it. There is one bit in the strap where the word "go-between" is used which I dont like myself. I would love to carry your response in the next issue if you would like to send one. My email id is manu@openmedianetwork.in."

Once again,when she asked the magazine's Editor why the basic tenets of journalism had not been followed in seeking her response before publishing these accusations, this is the reply she received.

2. "Dear Barkha, In the attachment is the cover story (divided into introduction and the transcripts).

We knew we were going ahead with the story only on Monday as Prashant Bhushan had submitted a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday attaching the same recordings that we had. We had to make a decision and we did. I wanted to get your response, but there was a possibility that if the word of the story got out (and, you know very well, it is not an exclusive) some people might do their best to ensure that we didn't carry it.

If you would like to respond to the story at any length, please let me know (by Tuesday).

Warm regards"

The fact that the very editor of the magazine that has published this story accepts the distortion in the story's caption and goes on to say that there is nothing "remarkable" in the content speaks for itself.

NDTV believes the magazine should first verify and corroborate facts before participating in a defamatory smear campaign.

These are unsubstantiated, baseless and defamatory allegations and we reserve the right to take appropriate action.

Narayan Rao
Group CEO, and Executive Director, NDTV

 

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Audio Transcript of Vir Sanghvi and Nira Radia...