BJP govts "shielding" corrupt: Karat

The CPI(M) today accused BJP governments of "shielding" the corrupt and "encouraging" the rich to launder black money.
In an editorial in the forthcoming issue of party organ 'People's Democracy", he said three instances occurred in the recent past with the central government raising the upper limit for buying gold jewellery without submitting PAN-Aadhaar details, the Rajasthan government bringing the criminal law ordinance and a media report on Jay Shah's company.
"Contrary to the strident statements against black money and corruption, the Modi government and the BJP are, in practise, taking step after step to shield corruption and to allow the rich to launder black money. Three such instances have occurred in the recent period," the former party general secretary said.

Observing that the government has raised the upper limit of buying gold jewellery from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh without submitting the PAN-Aadhaar details, Karat said by "diluting this measure, the government has undermined its own claim to fight black money."
He said repeated transaction of jewellery purchases below Rs 2 lakh would facilitate conversion of black money and money laundering.
"What this step signals is that the rich can evade taxes and convert black money under government's auspices, while the poor have to face stringent conditions of being linked to Aadhaar to get their PDS ration and other basic facilities," he said.

Training his guns at the BJP government in Rajasthan, Karat said its latest ordinance was meant to "shield public" servants, judges and magistrates from allegations of corruption.

He said, "Though as per the existing law, public servants cannot be investigated without prior sanction from the relevant authority, the ordinance has made it more difficult to pursue complaints against them."
After widespread opposition to this measure, the Rajasthan Assembly has referred the bill to a select committee, but the ordinance still remains in force, he said.
The CPI(M) leader also referred to a media report on Jay Shah's company and said the appointment of an additional solicitor general to appear on Shah's behalf in court showed that "far from investigating the matter, the Modi government seems bent upon assisting Amit Shah's son to escape any scrutiny for his business dealings".

Karat said that even three-and-half years after coming to power, the Modi government has not yet taken any step to constitute the Lokpal as per the law.