Were Romesh Bhandari a `Dalit', and K.R.Narayanan was not ...

S.Gurumurthy

TV Cameras and newspapers established the truth that �Kalyan Singh had convincingly won the vote of confidence and called the �bluff �in �the �UP Governor's �report �to �the �Central Government.

Kalyan �Singh �must �thank the �UP �Assembly �speaker's �the decision �to �allow �the �TV channels �to �telecast �the �UP Assembly �proceedings �on �October 21. It �is �this �visual evidence and the near unanimous press reports which appeared on the following day that proved that the UP Governor Romesh Bhandari ��had �fabricated �a �false �report ��to ��Gujral's Government to damn the BJP as having instigated violence and secured a bogus confidence vote.

Now, �no one disputes that this gentleman holding the high constitutional office of the Governor did fabricate the false report. This may shock only those who do not know this ex-Indian Foreign Service official - but not those who know his antecedents.

Romesh Bhandari �was caught with his pants down by the Statesman newspaper in the year 1993 when he was attempting to fabricate false evidence to implicate some political leaders including L.K.Advani in a pay-off scandal. The `Statesman' carried the transcript of �the telephonic conversation between Bhandari and one Randhir Jain who was the lawyer of Harshad Mehta. The conversation proved that Romesh Bhandari was conspiring with Randhir Jain to forge false evidence.

Romesh Bhandari was at that time reigning as the Governor of Tripura - that is he was attempting to fabricate false evidence sitting in Rajbhavan and was using the Rajbhavan telephone and his position to commit the offence.

So what he did on October 21 from the Rajbhavan in Lucknow should not surprise anyone. He can teach a few tricks to those dons in the world of commerce for whom falsification is, at times, a business necessity. After all Romesh Bhandari had schooled under Chandraswamy who accomplished the greatest ever forgery in India - the St.Kitts affair.

Infact, he �was posted as Governor UP only to thwart �the `unsecular' BJP from assuming power. He did it successfully by refusing to invite Kalyansingh after the BJP emerged as the single largest party. But he was foxed by the BJP-BSP alliance which became necessary for the survival of the two parties whose �cadre were being hounded by the Bhandari - Mulayam singh alliance.

That Romesh Bandari would naturally send a false report must have been known to the Gujral government. Why then did the Gujral �government �blindly accept the �Bhandari �report �on Tuesday �and advise the President K.R.Narayanan �to �dismiss Kalyan �Singh �and �impose �President's �Rule, �which �meant Bhandari �Rule �in �UP ? The �Gujral �Government �did �this despite �the fact that the Home Minister Inderjit Gupta �and the Attorney General Ashok Desai had advised the �government that �such a course would be unconstitutional and would �not stand judicial scrutiny.

This �where the President of India, K.R.Narayanan, �put �his foot �firm �and told the Government that �the �dismissal �of Kalyansingh and the imposition of the Bhandari Rule would be illegal. �The President sent back the �Gujral �government's recommendation �at �2.30 A.M. on Wednesday - �and �sent �the government for a six.

Hell ��broke �lose �and, �in �the �next �18 �hours, ��except Mulayamsingh Yadav and Sitaram Kesri, every one else �agreed with �the President and wanted the recommendation �annulled. Karunanidhis, Moopanars and Naidus joined the chorus against President's �Rule, �but, only after the President �took �the correct stance.

Just �three �men with conscience - the President, �the �Home Minister �and �the Attorney General - �made �the �difference between fraud and perfection. What this nation owes to �the President �K.R.Narayanan �in �terms �of �the �abuse �of �the constitutional powers in future he has hedged against by his unprecedented �stance �only the future can unfold. �He �has instantly elevated the office of the President to the �level when �Dr.Rajendra �Prasad �and �Dr.Radhakrishnan �were ��its incumbents.

Imagine that the K.R.Narayanan was not a `dalit' and �Romesh Bhandari �was, �what would a Mayavati or Mulayam �have �said about ��his ��decision ��to �send ��back ��the ��recommended proclamation. ��Instantly, �they �would ��have ��attributed motives. �It �would have been like how �some �United �Front leaders �abused �Shankar Dayal Sharma when he �invited �Atal Behari �Vajpayee �to �form �the �government. �Instead ��the President �being unanimously praised for his �integrity �and honesty, �he �would have been dragged �into �a �controversy. This is the state of the nation's politics today - that �is, only �a �Dalit can safeguard Dalit interest; only �an �upper caste �leader can protect the upper caste interest; �only �a backward �class �officer can prevent harm �to �the �backward class; �only �a �minority leader can �ensure �safety �for �a minority. �This �mindset �alone �has �caused �the �greatest erosion �in �the �national conscience. �No �one �speaks �of national interest.

The �UP drama shows the contrast - the `Upper Caste' �Romesh Bhandari forged false evidence at the instance of dalit �and backward �class �political leaders - but it is �the �`dalit' President �who upheld public morality and �the �constitution and thereby safeguarded the national interest.

when K.R.Narayanan was elected the President of India almost every �political �party congratulated itself �for �making �a 'dalit' �as �the �President of India in �the �50th �year �of India's freedom. This is the greatest injustice to him. He deserved to be the President by his own merit - not �because he �was a `dalit'. Will the political parties �and �leaders begin to rethink ?