Was I wrong … people love politicians?

If I agree with what Income Tax Appellate Tribunal of India (ITAT) has said then all my beliefs will be proved wrong. I have always maintained that people have no love for poliicians. Politicians are always seen by people as a necessary evil who have contaminated every aspect of social, moral and religious behaviour.

Mayawati is a politician and is under investigation by CBI in a case of possessing dispropertionate assets. She and her clan were found to be in possession of 72 immovable properties, besides Rs. 13 crore, which she has claimed to have been gifted to her through more than 300 small donations by her admirers. ITAT has acepted her explanation in totality and ruled that her huge wealth is just “affection” expressed by her admirers and all these immovable properties and cash has been gifted to her by her admirers out of “love and respect”.

The tribunal has not only accepted what she said but also elaborated on it – “One may be impelled by his conscience or may be moved by emotions to part with his wealth or property and to give the same to a particular person for whom he has developed love and affection…… The factors which weigh for executing such desire are best known to the donor. It is not easy to make probe into such human psychology or human emotions which one may carry at the time of making such sacrifices”.

It is really extraordinary that ITAT believes that her supporters took huge loans to buy properties only to gift those to her. It held that her supporters could indeed inflict the financial burden on themselves out of “love and affection” for a leader who was “working for the welfare of the downtrodden in a missionary manner”. And this missionary has kept all these gifts for her knowing full well that her admirers will be put to extreme hardships by making such sacrifices. This missionary seems to be working for her own welfare.

On the other hand, the asessing officer of IT department has been faulted for doubting the missionary’s greatness. The poor fellow is going to suffer now.

I do not agree with what Mayawati and ITAT have said. This clean chit is unclean. This stamp of legitimacy is itself illegitimate. This is yet another concession to a politician by another politician in the background of coalition adharma. It is another link in concession chain where Lalu Yadav was given clean chit in DA case against him and his wife. My beliefs have been strengthened.

Maywati has claimed that she has received gifts from those who have love and respect for her. But the biggest gift has come to her from ITAT.

I am not wrong … People do not love politicians. How can they love someone who becomes rich by poor people’s money?