The Centre is planning a major crack down on individuals involved in major scams and corruption cases.
Speculation is rife that the former Prasar Bharati CEO, B.S. Lalli, former CWG Organising Committee chairman, Suresh Kalmadi and some other top politicians, involved in scams could be arrested.
After the Opposition managed to force the Centre to agree on a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh now appears to be in a combative mood. Sources in the Prime minister’s Office (PMO) indicated that before the Budget Session begins on February 21, Dr Singh is in a mood to clean up and take on the Opposition head on.
Sources disclosed that the Centre and the Congress leadership are also looking at the possibilities of going after some top politicians involved in scams. The investigating agencies have swung into action to strengthen cases against them.
Meanwhile, the former Maharshtra chief minister, Mr Ashok Chavan, who was summoned to New Delhi, met the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi to give an explanation on the Adarsh Society scam.
It may be recalled that Mr Chavan’s name figures as one of the main conspirators in an FIR registered by the CBI in the Adarsh Society scam case.
It was learnt that the agency is gathering documentary evidence, before it questioned the former Maharashtra chief minister.
Sources further disclosed that there is also pressure from some of the allies, particularly the Trinamul Congress on the government to send a signal that the government intends to crack its whip on the corruption issue.
Hit by a series of corruption cases and being pulled up by the judiciary on issues relating to 2G scam, CWG scam and controversial appointment of the CVC, the government and the Congress leadership have also sent signals to its functionaries and the ministers that any “digression from the rule book,” could spell trouble for them.
The Opposition led by the BJP has focused its attention on the scams and corruption cases tumbling out of the UPA cupboard. It was incidentally for the first time, the BJP brought out a paper on corruption.
With the government indicating its willingness to go for a JPC on 2G scam, the Opposition intends to target the government on the corruption cases on the floor of the House.