After the coal block allocation scam, the Prime Minister finds himself embroiled in yet another scandal – the stationery scam. A clerk in the accounts division of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ram Lal, is alleged to have embezzled pens, erasers, A4 sheets, file holders and other valuable stationery amounting to thousands of rupees right under the nose of the Prime Minister between 2006 and 2009.
Political analysts say that the new probe could once again raise uncomfortable questions for Dr. Manmohan Singh since stationery management policy in the PM’s office comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister. Ram Lal was reportedly caught red-handed by the Prime Minister in 2007 while filching pens but the clerk brusquely told the soft spoken economist turned head of government to ‘mind his own business’ to which Dr. Singh meekly replied ‘theek hai’ and remained a mute spectator as the petty clerk proceeded to merrily loot assets belonging to the nation.
Taking suo moto notice of the incident after The Unreal Times political bureau chief, Rajnithi Sarkarwala, flagged it, the Supreme Court has directed the CBI to probe the matter and submit a status report since it involves malfeasance in the highest echelons of power.
“This PM chap seems even more of a caged parrot than the CBI, man,” observed Justice Lodi, in a stinging indictment of the Prime Minister’s meekness in the face of loot right under his eyes, “yet another caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice.” The Supreme Court has now given the UPA two months to evolve guidelines to give functional autonomy to the Prime Minister, failing which it will step in.
Dr. Singh has termed the Supreme Court’s observations about him being yet another caged parrot as ‘spot on except that [he] doesn’t speak at all’. “I myself wanted to petition the Supreme Court to free myself from the system and be cast adrift,” said the self effacing Dr. Singh, “so I’m glad they stepped in.”