Transparency Report: Corruption Rampant in Modi’s India
The level of corruption has increased manifold in the past over 2 years of Modi’s government in India. Besides unchecked bureaucratic and political corruption, Modi himself is also facing serious corruption charges.
By Rakesh Raman
Although the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi claims that his government has checked corruption in the country, a new report reveals that India is among the most corrupt countries.
According to Transparency International, a global anti-corruption group, India’s rank for 2016 is 79 in a list of 176 countries that it has studied. In other words, India is more corrupt than 78 countries.
The year 2016, according to Transparency, showed that around the world systemic corruption and social inequality reinforce each other, leading to popular disenchantment with political establishments and providing a fertile ground for the rise of populist politicians.
The report reveals that 69 per cent of the 176 countries on the Transparency’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2016 scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean), exposing how massive and pervasive public sector corruption is around the world.
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This year more countries declined in the index than improved, showing the need for urgent action, Transparency said in its report released Wednesday.
“In too many countries, people are deprived of their most basic needs and go to bed hungry every night because of corruption, while the powerful and corrupt enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.
“We do not have the luxury of time. Corruption needs to be fought with urgency, so that the lives of people across the world improve,” added Ugaz.
Corruption in India
The level of corruption has increased manifold in the past over 2 years of Modi’s government in India. Besides unchecked bureaucratic and political corruption, Modi himself is also facing serious corruption charges.
Opposition parties in India are up in arms against the government, as they are demanding a thorough inquiry into the alleged corruption deals of Modi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had leveled corruption charges on Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. According to Rahul Gandhi, Modi had received Rs. 40 crore (approximately USD $6 million) as corruption money from a company in 2013-14 just before he became the PM.
He also said that it was revealed by the documents of Income Tax department when it raided the company during that period.
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Although no inquiry against the political bosses in India can reveal the truth, opposition parties including Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) have demanded thorough investigation in the case.
In fact, Modi is not the only politician in his political group Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who is facing corruption charges. Among the BJP leaders and Modi’s friends who are facing serious corruption charges include:
- Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,
- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
- Rajasthan Chief Minsiter Vasundhara Raje,
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and
- Former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
But the Modi government did not hold any proper inquiry in all these cases and these politicians are having a ball with public money.
Opposition parties allege that Modi has introduced a cruel demonetization scheme claiming that it will weed out corruption, while he himself is a corrupt man as revealed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
However, the opposition parties will keep shouting, but there will be no effect on Modi. Worse, as it has happened in other cases of political corruption, people of India will never know the truth.
Prashant Bhushan – an Indian lawyer, activist and politician – who has revealed information about Modi’s own corruption said that even the Supreme Court of India is not working freely and has refused to take appropriate action against Modi.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a government award-winning journalist and social scientist. You also can visit the REAL VOTER – Politics in India Information Center that he manages.
