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Jagatrakashagan in Soup!!

I wrote about Mr Jagatrakshagan being offered a Minister of State in Union Cabinet soon after joining the DMK for his contribution(!!) during the elections.  Now a controversy has erupted, thanks to Times of Inidia's sting operation, regarding the MBBS admissions in his Shri Balaji Medical College, run by a trust where the Union Minister is (was) the Chairman.   TOI has exposed that the UPA government's MOS wants Rs20 lakhs for a medical seat.   You know now how he contributed for the victory of DMK and its allies.  You can read the TOI article here

It is an open secret that all professional colleges in Tamilnadu ask for donations and parents pay if they want admission in those colleges.   It includes famous institutions both in Medical and Engineering streams.  Many of my friends and relatives have paid money to admit their wards in these colleges.  So what TOI has done is not a major sting operation but it has come so quickly for Mr Jagatrakashagan after he become the Union Minister.  

TOI has exposed that the Union Minister was the Chairman of the Trust which runs this medical college and his photo was prominently displayed in the website.  But our Union Minister has quickly retorted that he has no connection with the Medical College or the Trust.   He claims that he was the Chairman but quit the post before the elections.   Our "Father of Education" (literal translation of Kalvi Thanthai in Tamil) was not reachable the almost the whole of yesterday when TOI exposed this in their front page article.   Then he met the presspersons and made the historic statement of having no relation with the College.   It doesn't take too much of time for preparing back-dated letters with regard to a private charitable trust.  After the website address of the Medical College was flashed in TOI, the website is no longer accessible.  Poor Union Minister has to run around to ensure everything is in order before he can meet the press.  

So, my guess is that the Union Minister would be left unharmed if he manages his PR properly in the next few days.  If the Government decides to act, then it will open up the Pandora's box.  Many sharks would get caught and this is not a proper return gift by UPA to these worthy(!) people for their electoral contribution.  

Unless PM Manmohan Singh looks upon it as a very serious issue and decides to remove him from the Cabinet.  (of course, as it has been the case, it is subject to approval  of Sonia Gandhi  and Rahul Gandhi) 

PS: Another thought which came to me after I submitted this post is the following question: "Will this sting operation and exposure of Jagatrakshagan so quickly after the swearing-in,  an handi-work of the master tactician? I have valid reasons to think so because the elections are over, funding has been taken care and this poor fellow has been made an MP and subsequently a MOS as well.  But the family pressure is too much so he wants to get rid of somebody who is no longer useful.  The first in line being this man.  He can't object if PM decides against having him on the cabinet and the Master tactician gets another chance to induct his beloved d...g.ter.  I will not be surpised if that happens.. if you want to know who is the master tactician and d...g.ter, then drop me an email...but you should be complete novice of the TN politics.  

2 comments:

Adwait said...

Venkat,

You are right when you say the sting operation only brought out what was obvious. When I saw it on TV and heard the comments of the politicians, I couldn't stop laughing and comparing to a Ekta Kapoor serial !!

It is an open secret and very very obvious. I was in an office of an Engineering college today to enquire about admission. The admin offficer was very open quoting the prices and it was business as usual !!

The way the money is paid, no one can produce evidence. The sting camera can be proved to be doctored and denied. Thus after a while the dust will be settled and the world moves on !!

As we have institutionalised reservations, I suggest that the donations/capitations should be also institutionalised. What harm if one pays and gets a seat ? What is not for sale ? Even Almighty is sold !!!

Venkysdiary said...

Dear Adwait,
I think you are bang on the target.. I also agree that capitation fee should be legalised and tax collected on that from the institutions, so that everything is in black & white. Why this big hungama about capitation fee when these same people send their children to foreign universities with very high tuition fees? Tuition fees are nothing but the capitation fee in a different name.
thanks
Venkat