BJP demands joint parliamentary probe

In a series of reactions and counter-reactions, Ratan Tata and Rajeev Chandrashekhar expose the unholy nexus between business and politics

Ratan Tata's reply to the open letter written by Rajeev Chandrashekhar, founder of BPL mobile, has given an ugly turn to the ongoing corporate spat.

Chandrashekhar fired the first salvo through his open letter to Tata, which was published a couple of days ago. Tata replied through an e-mail statement to the media yesterday at 11 am.
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By evening, Chandrashekhar reacted to Tata's statement and by 8 pm yet another statement was e-mailed to the media rebutting Chandrashekhar's reactions to Tata's earlier statement. The last statement came in by
9.45 pm.

Observers were surprised by the sheer speed and intensity at which the statements were sent out.

Regarding Tata's statements about Chandrashekhar's alleged nexus to the BJP, the party's official spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said, "We are not going to get into squabbles with telecom operators. We want a joint parliamentary committee probe."

About policy flip-flops as well as an unusually high turn over of telecom ministers during the BJP regime, Javdekar said, "Well, only Vajpayee and Advani can speak about it.

I can only say that because of the policies we framed, the telecom sector witnessed unprecedented growth, unlike the series of scams today."

"Industrialists tend to support those who are in power. Ratan Tata has accused Chandrashekhar of being 'close' to the BJP," said New Delhi-based senior economic and policy analyst Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.
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"From what Ratan Tata said, it might appear that he is pro-Congress, but that's simply not true, as he too supported Narendra Modi when he shifted the Nano plant to Gujarat.

So, blaming Chandrashekhar is like the pot calling the kettle black."

He said that the episode has exposed the unholy nexus between business and politics, which is the root of all corruption.

"Businessmen finance all political parties as well as their election expenses, and in return they get to influence policy.

This nexus is as old as Mahatma Gandhi and the Birlas, but it was hidden. The only difference now is that the entire nexus is now out in the open," said Thakurta.