archive: Wild Allegations
Wild Allegations
Editorial
Daily Excelsior
September 01, 1999
Title: Wild Allegations
Author: Editorial
Publication: Daily Excelsior
Date: September 01, 1999
As the election day approaches nearer, Congress Party has started
indulging in wildest possible allegations against the Vajpayee
Government. This time round, the latest is that sugar imports from
Pakistan involves scandalous affair in PMO's office which has resulted
in siphoning of about Rs. 900 crore. PMO office has already clarified
the correct position that import of sugar from Pakistan was put on
O.G.L. by the predecessor Governments led by Narasimha Rao in 1994. To
that extent Vajpayee-Sharif nexus is out of question. In fact,
incumbent Government has enhanced import duty on sugar imports from
Pakistan from zero to 27.5% to provide level playing field to the
indigenous industry. For records sake it is to be remembered that
sugar availability has remained easy all these months precisely
because of import of sugar which kept the price line stable. Had it
not been imported, sugar prices would have shot to Rs. 30 per kg like
it happened in the case of edible oils. It is the duty of any
Government to maintain price stability and resort to imports to
correspond to demand and supply principle. Why only sugar. Even large
quantity of pulses, edible oils and other scarce items have also been
put on OGL to facilitate liberal imports to meet the demand.
Incidentally, edible oils and pulses have been imported from many
countries.
Likewise, Pakistan is not the only country from which sugar is
imported. There are many other countries like Brazil and Thailand from
where sugar continues to pour in. Contrarily, even India is exporting
sugar to European Union to meet its quota obligations earmarked for
imports from India. Prime Minister Vajpayee thus rules out any sordid
business as regards import of sugar from Pakistan, least of all
involvement of PMO.
There is another recurring allegation being levelled by Congress and
CPI (M) regarding a letter written by Brig Surinder Singh sub sector
Kargil Commander about increasing threat perceptions. The position is
that no officer can write such type of letter to Army Chief direct.
Command and Control demands that sub-sector commander first writes to
Divisional Headquarters which in turn informs the Corp HQ and then it
should have reached the Northern Command Headquarters which only is
competent to inform CAS. Since there is total absence of this chain,
it proves the falsehood of the entire propaganda. This ground of
writing direct to CAS is enough to remove the Sub-Area Commander not
only from the post held but from Army itself. None in the armed forces
is allowed to bypass superior formations. Likewise, Vishnu Bhagwat
case is once again being raked up. The million dollar question is
whosever challenges superiority of the political system over armed
forces has no place in our system. Defiance of order justifies his
removal. Congress will be well advised to desist from wild
allegations. When entire world praises India for Kargil warfare and
Pakistan stands condemned both inside as also worldwide Congress must
learn to appreciate good things. In retrospect, Vajpayee equated
Indira Gandhi with Durga when she ordered Indian armed forces into
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). There is no harm if good things done
by any Government are appreciated and temptation for baseless and wild
allegations are avoided.
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