Journalism of Courage
A day after the RSS was reported to have cautioned the BJP leadership about the challenge posed by the AAP, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Friday took a leaf out of Arvind Kejriwal’s book to come out with an initiative on corruption and governance.
Chouhan announced a dedicated telephone number (09009133322) to reach “my team directly on suggestions and issues on governance and anti-corruption’’ from Saturday evening.
He announced the measure on a day it became officially known that the Lokayukta had closed investigation against Chouhan’s several ministerial colleagues a few months before the Assembly elections.
RTI activist Ajay Dubey was told by the office of the Lokayukta that investigations into corruption cases against Chouhan, Finance Minister Jayant Malaiyya and Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya had closed in 2013.
Dubey questioned the timing of the closure of cases investigation into which was on for many years without actual progress. Incidentally, Lokayukta P P Naolekar had accused the BJP government of sitting on proposals to sanction prosecution of ministers.
Dubey, also a member of Transparency International, said the Chouhan government’s track record in dealing with corruption inspired little confidence.
