Revisiting our Civics textbook ...

Dear Prime Minister,

Back in High School, in our civics lessons, we were taught that the Prime Minister is the most powerful person in the country. We were told that all ministers report to him. We were taught that he/she is the ultimate authority when it comes to decision making. However, after the abominal and disgusting reasons you gave us yesterday, don't you think it is time to re-write those chapters, Mr. PM?

In your 71 minute interaction with TV editors, for any question on 2G, you cited "Coalition Dharma". You assert (yes, assert) that you are not in control of everything. You plead (yes, plead) for our understanding of your helpless situation and vouch (yes, vouch) to us that "you are not as big a culprit as is being made out". So what exactly is the measure of your culpritness (excuse me for the new word)?

You tell us that Raja, a cabinet minister who reports to you, took decisions on his own (also very clearly documented earlier, your lack of control on Mamta Banerjee, Sharad Pawar et.al). You tell us that Finance Ministry agreed with Raja, and therefore you found no reason to object. And then it turns out you are lying! Just remembered that early last year, 38 junior ministers come to you complaining that they have no work. 38 out of 78 don't have work to do in your cabinet!!

You enlighten us by saying that there are compromises that need to be made in coalition. When massive loot is happening to the tune of lakhs of crores, we are to feel good about your helplessness Mr. Prime Minister? Like many people asked, what about all that loot that happened within your party? CWG, Adarsh, S-Band, CVC appointment are all by-products of "coalition dharma" or your reluctance to even look at them? B.Raman, in this brilliant piece, points out how other Prime Ministers led coalitions without losing authority. So pray, what's stopping you from exhibiting even an iota of such authority, Mr PM? Just to remind you, "Coalition dharma" did not come in your way of pushing the Nuclear deal (on which you lied to us multiple times too). We shudder to think what next is going to happen in the name of "coalition dharma".

When asked about the recent S-Band deal, you read out from a prepared text. What a sad state of affairs, that you don't have enough facts on your hand about a scam that took place directly under your office! You categorically deny of any backroom negotiations with Devas. Hours later, Devas CEO comes on air and says talks have been going on till like even last month. So who is lying, Mr. PM?

A deal was arrived in 2005 by ISRO (which reports to your office). And your office did NOT know the full details of that deal (which involved building of 2 satellites, alloting of 70MHz of S-band spectrum) till 2010?? A full 5 years - and we are to believe the astute people of your office did not know about this loot! If we were to give you the benefit of doubt and believe you, what kind of incompetent unit are you running which doesn't have access to basic information regarding such deals?

When asked why reform process is not moving forward, you blame the BJP for not co-operating with the government to push forward the Goods and Services Tax (GST). You say that the BJP wants the govt. to go easy on a "Gujarat minister". Some state governments of the BJP have been opposing GST from like 2009. Amit Shah (the Gujarat Minister) was arrested somewhere in 2010. What link does passing of GST have to do with the arrest of a minister? Is GST the only reform that you have envisioned? If so, have you tried to address the state governments concerns about this proposal? If not, what are the other reforms you plan to usher in? What is their status? Will you care to tell us all this, Mr. Prime Minister?

Here's another lie. You tell us that Inflation has been a problem for the past "couple of months". It has been a problem for the past couple of years. You yourself promised to bring it under control by Feb, 2010. Then you said, April 2010. Then, December 2010. And now, neither do you give an explanation for this shifting of goalposts nor do you give us a new deadline! Just a long winded explanation of how "global factors" affect us.

Your desperate urge to sell your helplessness, incompetence and unreasonableness as an unparalleled virtue, is getting nauseating by the day. More nauseating than the spin, sections of your compliant media give us on a daily basis.