'Against politicians, the CBI gets cold feet'
On The Rediff Chat, Ravindra Kumar showed why he was the man who created history by ensuring that for the first time ever, a former Indian prime minister might actually end up in jail. He didn't mince words and took questions from all, whether they were complimentary or sceptical, ensuring that all doubts were cleared.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1810 IST)
Hello everybody! I am here to chat with you. I would be delighted to take your questions. So let us begin!
Baskaran Sankaran (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1736 IST)
Dear Ravindra Kumar,
Congratulations. You have every reason to be proud. As an Indian citizen dreaming for honest politicians, I feel great on hearing the news. Even then I think this is only a small step we have a long distance to go for achieving clean administration. Together we hope for politicians to give up the corrupt practices and serve the nation. Wish you all the best.
Regards, Baskaran S
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1813 IST)
Baskaran: Thank you for such a nice statement. I consider myself one among billion Indians. I think that whatever I did is a service to the nation and I have dream that India must become a corruption free India so that everybody have faith in the saying that 'honesty is the best policy.' But it is unfortunate that politicians have no dreams for a self-reliant and vibrant India. They want to fulfil their own coffer and I am fighting against this.
ashish (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1803 IST)
how u r feeling now after the conviction of p.v. narsimha rao
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1814 IST)
Ashish: I feel that in spite of the best efforts by the CBI to save Rao and other criminals, my stand has been vindicated. And I am proud that now all the honest Indians are feeling vindicated with me.
afzal (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1804 IST)
I wish you took up the Babri masjid demolition case, and bring to book the culprits who are now ruling us.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1816 IST)
Afzal: It is very unfortunate that we had a black day in history and that is December 6, 1992. I am against fanatic people and I pursued this matter since 1988. I was the first person who exposed VHP in 1989. VHP served me a defamation notice but later when income tax authorities supported my case they were constraint to withdraw the case.
shrikant (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1805 IST)
Dear Ravidrakumar Congratulations.
We all Indians are proud of you. We NRI people always talk about Politicians in India and accused our law system that it is incapable to punish corrupt politicians. Now it showed that, even though law system is incapabable, but people like you are strong enough to force the justice.
I am very much happy to know about your efforts. I hope that you should continue your efforts in the same dirrections. NRI can give you financial support to continue this activity.
I wish you all the best!
Regards
Shrikant Barhate, Detroit-USA
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1822 IST)
Shrikant: Thanks, dear srikant. I am very thankful to you that you have considered my service, even though my services are yomen service, and I received support from all quarters of society. The law and judicial system in India has been subverted to the extent that people in India had believed that no high and mighty can be touched by the law enforcing agencies. But if one has the courage, commitment,and continuous efforts then he can prove his point. It is correct that before the judgement nobody had supported me in any manner except my lawyer P N Lekhi and few of my friends, but now I am getting offer for all types of people. We only need moral support from our people. So far as financial support is concerned we will accept only after October 15, 2000 because at present myself and my Morcha has no bank account in any bank in India.
gopal (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1805 IST)
Is not the whole Congress party guilty?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1825 IST)
Gopal: yes, you are 100 per cent correct. The whole congress party, after independence, is responsible for the deterioration in our system. After Mrs Gandhi proclaimed that corruption is an international phenomenon, every Congress man started becoming corrupt. The bribe episode of 1993 by P V Narasimha Rao was done to help the Congress remain in power and till date not a single Congress man has confessed to his guilt. The Congress which has a history of 116 years will be wiped out in the future if they don't apologise for their corruption.
venu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1811 IST)
Why just Rao? What about other politicians in Congress?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1827 IST)
Venu: You are very right and correct that it is a story of Alibaba and 40 Thieves. Rao was the PM but his whole cabinet was beneficiary of criminal conspiracy and corruption. But, CBI was not ready to widen the scope of their investigation; rathter they tried their best to spoil the case. That is why they have not booked all the accused persons.
Priya (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1814 IST)
Mr. Ravindra Kumar, Congratulations for your great work! I feel awed by the courage and strength you have shown in taking up and successfully completing this mission. Hope you receive success in all the other cases you have taken up and those you will take in future. I am an NRI in Singapore and even though the NRI's over here cannot directly help you out we would like to extend monetary help. Please do tell were we can send money too.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1831 IST)
Priya: At present 38 cases are still pending in various courts of law in India against corrupt and inept politicians and bureaucrats. This is just a single milestone where I got success after 7 years, but my struggle will continue in the future too. Our resources are meagre as I myself spend more than Rs 10 lakh in this litigation although no lawyer has charged any fee from me. To meet my expenses I had no option in 1995 but to sell my flat in Delhi. Now, first of all I have to restore that flat to my family and after that I will pursue these cases with my commitment and zeal. Thank you for your suggestion for financial help, I will inform you in future as I have no bank account number at present.
venu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1818 IST)
What about Advani? He is the person who started Ramjanmabhoomi.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1833 IST)
Venu: Although Advani is home minister of India but he is a named accused in Babri Masjid demolition case. A charge-sheet has been filed against him but he has no regard for political morality and despite being chargesheeted, he has not restrained himself from accepting a political post.
bharatShyam (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1819 IST)
Hello Mr Ravindra Kumar,
congrats on the success and implication of PV in JMM case, and i think u have ignored the excellent work he did to the country at the time of crisis.
do u think without Mr Rao's hard work, our country would have been the same as of today ?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1836 IST)
Bharat Shyam: You have put forward a very intelligent question. The same question was asked by Rao himself when he asked me 'Mr Ravindra, how will history recall me' Then I told him in spite of your best efforts, history will consider you as a person who had fallen from grace. History is very ruthless and I considered that Rao could be known as a philosopher king if he had not indulged in corruption.
blrr (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1817 IST)
Isn't the Congress party in total responsible for this since it was done to keep them in power. Moreover, considering the reforms during his period do you not feel that he should have been treated more leniently. We have the like of Jaya and Laloo still at large and you want one old man to be put behind bars for keeping his government in power
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1840 IST)
Blrr: We cannot compare Rao, Jaya and Laloo. Rao was the PM of the largest democracy in the world. He was the top executive of the govt, he was holding constitutional office of the PM and he had committed an offence in Parliament itself. There is no parallel crime in the history of the world. I fear that any MNC after this bribery act can offer Rs 1 crore or Rs 2 crore as bribe to 542 Lok Sabha member and 225 member of Rajya Sabha and then soverignity and integrity of the country can be subverted into slavery of 1 billion Indians. Rao was aware of his crime and if a constitutinal head is doing a crime which is unparalleled, he deserves a more severe punishment.
sidhu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1836 IST)
DID YOU CONSULT YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS BEFORE GOING AHEAD WITH THIS CASE?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1842 IST)
Sidhu: Never. My family doesn't likes my political activities. They consider me as a madman because I spend my own money and I am not supporting them financially. So they think that if I alone want to change the system I will be an utter failure. But now, I have proven that even one man can move the whole system in a right direction. Now they have some sort of confidence in me.
bharatShyam (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1838 IST)
So, u want to acccept money for your investigative work? good, so u did it for money, nothing more than that?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1845 IST)
Bharat Shyam: No, money is not my cup of tea because I have been offered money to the tune of crores of rupees during this case but I never accepted any money from anybody. Money can give some facilities at a given point but it cannot give a commitment and conviction to any human being. I just want recognition for my service so that in future thousands of other people who are fighting in various fields may get a sense of achievement.
Prabu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1835 IST)
hello mr ravindra kumar. When the news of mr rao being nailed reached we were very happy. I know how much effort and time must have been thrown to get them. Congrats. We would like to show our support by any means you would like as to help you. Is their any way to be a member of your team. Please kindly write to as. We will not only support in terms of finance put would like to give as our moral support.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1849 IST)
Prabu: Our Rashtriya Mukti Morcha will start enrolling new members and our address is 37, Angad Nagar Extension, Delhi 92. We also opened a website : www.rashtriyamuktimorcha.com where a form will be available for enrolment. We will also accpet information regarding scams and other offences from people.
sidhu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1842 IST)
DO YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THE CBI IS ALSO HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE POLITICIANS(
sidhu (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1849 IST)
YOU HAVE NOT ANSWERED ONE QUESTION OF MINE MR.RAVINDRA---DO YOU AGREE THAT A FEW "CBI" BIG HEADS ARE ALSO HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE CORRUPT POLITICIANS
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1851 IST)
Sidhu: Yes, you are 100 per cent right. The CBI is always ready to nail any constable or clerk ruhtlessly. But when the turn of politicians come they always develop a cold feet. Hundred of cases and complaints are pending with CBI but they never take action by itself. That constraints people like us to file public interest litigatin in the court of law as I have already done and my 38 PILs are pending.
aslam (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1849 IST)
what motivated you to file the case? Was it a case of political affinity? Would you have filed a case if you were part of the JMM or receiving money? Can we trust politicians? You acted in your own self interest, not in the country's self interest.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1854 IST)
Aslam: It is the consious of a man which encourages him to act. Had I been a part of JMM MPs bribe taking team the criminal act could be nipped in the bud as everybody knows about my antecedents. The reputation of a person always follows him and in India most politicians stop talking whenever they find themselves in my company. So such question is imaginary for me.
Bala (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1840 IST)
My bankers think twice before depositing money that I took for my housing loan...but how come these bankers allow such a huge deposit of money in the bank?? Can we conclude that the bankers too are careless?
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1857 IST)
Bala: Yes. The Negotiable Instrument Act provision and the Criminal Procedure Code has entrusted every Indian to inform about cognizable offences to the police, but the officials of the Punjab National Bank, Naoraji Nagar Branch, were careless. Rather they participated in criminal conspiracy as they went to the house of the accused persons, stayed the whole night and counted the money there which is unheard of.
Mr Ravindra Kumar (Fri Oct 13, 2000, 1858 IST)
Thank You everybody! It was a nice chat with mindboggling questions. I will always welcome such queries from you. Thanks once again!
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