George rubs it in, seeks Left help to remove graft stain

Raising the issue of tainted ministers in the UPA government, NDA convenor George Fernandes today shot off a letter to CPI(M) general secret...

Raising the issue of tainted ministers in the UPA government, NDA convenor George Fernandes today shot off a letter to CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, seeking his cooperation in the ‘‘war against corruption.’’

Lauding the CPI(M) for its ‘‘determination to fight against corruption through suitable institutional mechanism’’, Fernandes reminded Surjeet that ‘‘your idea to target members of the Cabinet and the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and Judiciary is most welcome… however, giving two years to proceed with the case ‘including trial’ is, in my view, too long a time.’’

Pointing out that ‘‘the UPA Government, which the CPI(M) has propped up, has some notoriously corrupt and criminal elements adorning the Council of Ministers — one of them a Minister of Cabinet rank,’’ Fernandes told Surjeet ‘‘while people in public life may differ on umpteen issues, the fight against corruption need not divide us.’’

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‘‘If we lose this war against corruption and if those corrupt and criminal elements who are present in the UPA Government are not immediately ousted, a day may come when such people claim the Prime Minister’s chair,’’ Fernandes wrote, urging Surjeet to ‘‘get all parties of the UPA to join this effort to cleanse our body politic of this corruption.’’

When his response to the letter was sought, the CPI(M) veteran sounded irritated: ‘‘Now, I have to fight corruption with George Fernandes. What moral right does he have to raise such issues? Till two days ago, they were speechless in defeat. Now they want to teach us and we have to learn from them how to fight corruption.’’

His party has been ill at ease defending the inclusion of tainted RJD ministers in the new government. The CPI(M)’s West Bengal unit, in fact, openly criticised their induction into the Cabinet.