‘‘Desh ka neta kaisa ho, Ranjit Don jaisa ho,’’ chanted a thousand-strong crowd as the Shramjeevi Express reached Patna railway station on Friday morning. For the record, Ranjit Don is the prime accused in the case related to the leaking of CAT examination in November 2003. To the cheers of supporters, Don declared that he would be fighting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Nalanda. ‘‘I will contest. Jeena marna idar hi hain,’’ he said. Defence Minister George Fernandes will face an unusual opponent in his Nalanda constituency if Don does what he promises. And he has a reputation of keeping the promises. In three cases filed by the CBI after his arrest in November, Don is accused of organising admissions for professional courses through fraudulent means, at a hefty price. He has got bail in two cases, and was brought to Patna by the CBI today where a special court extended his judicial custody in the third. People gathered at the railway station with garlands and bouquets were mostly direct or indirect beneficiaries of the Don Model of higher education. ‘‘What is your problem? He has only helped people become doctors and engineers. Has he committed murder,’’ one of the enthusiastic supporters asked. Before dismissing this as another tamasha that happens only in India, be warned that Don may just have the potential to alter the political dynamics of Nalanda.
