Speculation Over Gowda-Rao Meet
Gowda, who visited Rao a week after he resigned as party president following court issued summons on him in the Pathak case and CBI chargesheeted him in the St Kitts case on September 23, was with Rao for over half-an-hour. The visit has come after murmurs among Rao loyalists of the Prime Minister "stabbing him in the back".
Gowda's visit was followed by Congress president Sitaram Kesri calling on the former prime minister. His former Cabinet colleagues Pranab Mukherjee, Satish Sharma and G Venkatswamy were among the early callers at the 9, Motilal Nehru Marg yesterday. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal also met him in the morning.
It turned out to be a busy day for Rao who paid a visit to the family of the slain former Afghan president Najibullah in the evening.
A senior government source attached much significance to the visit. According to him, the United Front Government is extremely worried about the prospects of Rao having to appear in the crowded Tis Hazari courts today.
"This is not because we want to be soft with an accused, but simply because the government is under statutory obligation to not only provide but ensure security to the former prime minister", the source said.
Asked what if the court rejected the government plea, the official said then the court would share the responsibility. The government's argument is that the purpose of the trial and custody is to ensure cooperation of the accused and not to punish him at this stage. As to why Rao should be treated differently, the government argues that because the statute demands so.
Rao's lawyers had dicussed their plans for Monday with their client on Saturday itself. The lawyers would be present in Justice Bharihoke's court at the appointed time today morning despite the simultaneous hearing in the Supreme Court on the Delhi Police's application to shift the venue of Rao case's hearing. Rao's lawyers would inform the judge that their client was ready for personal appearance right away if the judges so desired.
However, if the court wanted to postpone the hearing until later in the afternoon when the Supreme Court would have heard the Delhi Police application, Rao would go to Tis Hazari Courts in the afternoon.
While the nation awaits its first trial ever of a former prime ministers in a corruption case beginning today, the legislative and the executive appear sharply divided in their opinion on how this would affect the body politic of the country.