Rajiv lessons for Ramoji

Rajiv Gandhi, the youngest Prime Minister India ever had, was born great. He achieved popularity and gamely accepted power that was thrust upon him. Sadly, cruel fate had him leave the task of defending his honour to his family. Therein lies the lesson for Ramoji Rao. Here is how:

The Bofors scandal showed how an ill-advised greenhorn politician could entangle himself in an inescapable mess. Rajiv’s response to allegations of kickbacks in the gun purchase deal was a strategic blunder, underlined by a series of vehement denials and hasty retreats. Initially, Rajiv categorically denied all allegations. No middlemen were involved in the deal, he declared. Evidence showed otherwise. Rajiv retracted but declared that no kickbacks were made. Media reported bank account numbers and transaction details. Rajiv retracted but stated that none from his party or Cabinet were paid. Fresh evidence (incriminating Arun Nehru) proved him wrong, forcing him to retract and avow that none from his family benefited from the deal! (Prompting a wicked joke: See Foot Note)

A decade after his assassination, during the NDA regime, Rajiv’s family and followers had to fight to have his name deleted from the charge sheet filed in courts relating to the Bofors kickbacks.

Ramoji’s life is at a turning point. His actions in the present would decide how the world would remember him in the future. The present holds out an opportunity to him — to come clean and thus gracefully preserve at least a part of the clean image and reputation that he has built for himself. Waiting for evidence to admit guilt would be disastrous and would vilify him for now and forever! And, like in the case of Rajiv, it would leave his family entangled in protracted legal wrangles.

The Union Finance Ministry’s stop order on Margadarsi has already exposed how untenable Ramoji’s claim on the non-application of RBI laws to his HUF is. Ramoji is now on the verge of making his first retreat: The date of stopping acceptance of deposits by Margadarshi Financiers. Evidently, there is a contradiction between what we read and heard from his media wings and what he informed the RBI. He would also have to explain why the group’s net worth is informed differently for the RBI and the common man, Rs 500-odd crore and Rs 10,000 crore! That’s just the beginning. There is a lot more he would have to do before he can consider Margadarsi, RFC lands issues as over and buried.

Ramoji had made several fabulously grandiose statements: No law has been violated in mobilizing deposits for Margadarsi; Not a single acre of land encroached or any bit of assigned lands bought to build RFC. All allegations are a product of politcal vendetta;

He also despised those that questioned him: Vundavalli is a small fry. His daughter-in-law went a step further, calling him a liar and charging that he would be responsible if the company sinks.

Now, there is scope for honourable discharge for Ramoji, if he acts wise: Stop giving ‘technical’ excuses and admit all wrongdoings; Everyone and my wife knows RFC is built on encroached and assigned lands. Technically, Ramoji is right in RFC case too — he had the lands purchased first by his team before he bought them. The team includes his personal bodyguard!! Instead of an outright denial, it would be better for him to seek a settlement from the government to save the architectural wonder, as the shameless Red friend Narayana described it.

Ramoji, thanks to his astuteness and the monopoly of his paper, has scripted the fate of many a politician and bureaucrat. Time has come for him to decide his own fate and decide for himself what his epitaph would be!

(Joke: If Rajiv were alive for longer, probably his next denial and retreat would have been: Maybe my family was involved but I promise I am not the beneficiary!)
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