This refers to your cover story “Bhujbal cries in court” and your editorial “Once again, Mr. Bhujbal is landed in jail” (March 16) It is an unfortunate irony that Senior NCP leader and former DCM Bhujbal was finally arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. Despite a fantasy expenditure of Rs.82,000 lakhs, not even a drop of water for irrigation was provided. Because of such people the government machinery badly failed. Bhujbal has rightly made statements that he has served for 50 years. He has become a victim of vendetta politics. We have built one of the best state sadans in Delhi.”If we go by the brief profile of Bhujbal he is known to be a driving force and a man of sheer power and boundless energy. That is all we can say about a man who rose from being an ordinary citizen, beginning life as a poor grocer, to a political heavyweight who rose to the spiralling heights – becoming Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra for three consecutive times. No doubt, as a political leader, he was arrested several times in a five-decade career for some reasons.
He began his political career as a corporator with the Shiv Sena in 1973, and became a close associate of Balasaheb Thackeray is responsible for his own collapse. People who are today protesting against his arrest will soon forget the issue and go about their usual chores. He is a living example of utter willpower, brazen grind and bold ambition – all qualities that one needs to rise to the top, despite all odds. Now the ED claims that part of the money allegedly received by Bhujbal as kickbacks was parked abroad and routed into India through various shell companies located across the country. As it is very difficult to understand the complexities of Maharashtra politics, only time will tell us actually what is happening among allies and whether Bhujbal will manage to make a comeback again.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
