Devil’s Advocate: LKM, IPL & ‘Scary Clowns’ behind curtains.
LKM, IPL & 'Scary Clowns'.
It has been a week but the sordid IPL drama refuses to die down. What started as a Minister caught with his hands in jar and subsequently made to quit office has taken a bizarre turn.
My brief notes on some key issues.
1. It is stupid to equate Shashi and Modi as MSM has been trying to.
Shashi being MOS is accountable to citizens and since it is reasonably clear that he misused his office to benefit his lady friend is guilty in public eye. As for Modi, well he is accountable to authorities concerned if he has done some murky dealings.
If Modi is corrupt- if only for argument sake and since he doesn’t hold public office too – how does it absolve Shashi, who has misused public office!
Shashi had to go and did eventually, but he could have salvaged his reputation by resigning voluntarily. As for Mata Ji and Prime Minister Minion of Mata Ji’s stand on corruption is concerned- do not kid me please 
. Not long ago Prime Minister Minion of Mata Ji had felicitated fellow ‘country man’ of Mata Ji to flee away with slush money.
2. IPL issue rocks Parliament.
Raising IPL issue in Parliament would have made sense only if Shashi had not resigned. Then it would have been legitimate for MPs to question Shashi and his presence in the cabinet. But now it was a sorry spectacle to see MPs of all hues splitting hair on something which is anything but a matter of National Interest. Speeches by Laloos and alkies made Parliament and MPs look stupid not only to all Indians but to the entire World.
3. Media. Twists and Spins.
MSM legitimately has every right to highlight any issue which has element of public interest involved. IPL as a national attraction and Shashi as a minister both warranted attention and scrutiny of MSM. And to be fair, MSM did a good job and hope shall continue to put the entire IPL under microscopic scrutiny without sparing anyone.
BUT then here is the cliché. MSM would just stop short of naming anyone which/who could prove embarrassing for their favorite party and threaten this Govt.
NO. I am not making any wild allegation against the Main Stream Media. I am stating a fact please read on shall elaborate after couple of sentences since I am trying to make my arguments in a structured manner.
4. Hounding Lalit Kumar Modi.
a.) Soon after Shashi was discarded to the dustbin of history, MSM and their political masters shifted focus and their collective wrath is unleashed on LKM. LKM made the Govt it’s enemy by making public MOS Shashi’s ‘dangerous liaisons’ and ‘sweat money’ deals for ‘sweetheart’. It was LKM’s major folly. Although LKM drew first blood but he grossly misjudged CONgress party’s vendetta politics.
b.) MSM too has joined this cacophony for two reasons. One- MSM know the public interest in IPL and Two- since MSM by hounding LKM need to justify and earn their Padam Shris they were awarded in advance by Mata Sonia ‘Maino’ Gandhi.
5. Well! Is LKM a Saint?
I have no reason to believe so or otherwise till all facts are out in public domain. And no way am I defending him either. I am just making notes as I see things are unfolding. BUT it would be injustice to LKM if we ignore his efforts and enterprising skills to make IPL a leading Global Brand. Being a student of management, I salute him.
I believe if IT and ED do their work unbiased and without any malicious intent, he might come out clean. BUT then key words are UNBIASED, without any Prejudice and malicious intent.
Will it be so? Come on! None of us is so naïve.
6. How will the whole controversy end?
ONE basic fact.
IPL is too big a money machine for all, Cricket administrators, sponsors, cricketers, politicians, MSM, franchise owners and fans too. So IPL will stay as it is in the interest of all. I believe IPL also benefits many fringe players like Hospitality industry, Tourism, Travel and many many more. In short it does give an opportunity for everyone to benefit directly or indirectly.
MY PREDICTION.
You need not be a ‘Political Pundit’ to figure out how will this whole drama end. I stick my neck out and predict…
@ 1.) Govt would unleash all its might on BCCI (as Pranab announced) and in matter of no time will have thick enough dossier on everybody especially Sharad Pawar and Prafful Patel .
@ 2.) Outside public glare (but with complicit MSM quoting ‘secretive sources’ and leaking ‘selective disinformation’) these dossiers would then be used to blackmail and to force LKM being thrown out. Thus Mata Ji avenged. MSM pleased. BCCI Honchos back to business.
@ 3.) Govt would then Publicly announce some committee or other and probe would go on till cows come home- then soon a new issue would replace this one for ‘Tweepple’ to Tweet and for me to Blog.
Ps: Well, I think LKM too would be accommodated one way or another, after all he is too important and know really too much. But at the same time I am really worried too for LKM as he ‘really knows too much’. Politicians and vested interests do not really like those who know too much about them. This is most ‘scary part’.
PI.
PI, The post has highlighted latent facts as always.
QUITE CONVINCING
Tend to agree with you all this is very murky and do agree with you modi has reasons to worry. Sharad pawar and patel r not only moneybags but have Supreme PM and PM om their mercies too.
Media long ago sold their ass, back, spine, conscise everything to madame. so no hope from them.
Modi better watch out, knives are drawn game is gone bloody
God save modi.
hi, i like your post
The IPL mania has turned out to be the next big thing not only in India but globally. You can send more such latest news on the IPL, through MMS, free of cost to anywhere in India from:
Mr.PI your blogs are much better than even established newspaper columnists.
You can make a good career in Journalism.
Singling out Lalit Modi in IPL scandal is wrong; if Govt is serious, it should order a CBI enquiry. But it will not do so because many top leaders of Congress, may be even Sonia and family, would have benefitted from the scandelous ways to run IPL/BCCI.
For Shashi Tharoor, it became way too clear that he did take part in the exerice of favourism which accompaied payoffs. He should have been careful; but he was too busy proving himself as a proud (read chauvinist; regionalist) Keralite than anything else; and hence time tested him like this.
What happened, happened for the good.
its not that scary