BJP, citizens slam President Patil; Cong remains mum. The President's office claims she is spending her own money
BJP, citizens slam President Patil; Cong remains mum. The President's office claims she is spending her own money
As news broke out on the large entourage and relatives that accompany President Pratibha Patil during her five-day tour of Gujarat, criticism deepens across the country against her reported extravagances. The man on the street, netas and celebrities question why the President is spending the taxpayer's money, at a time when the world is reeling from recession.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
While the government is cutting corners, President Pratibha Patil reportedly still goes on her trips with more than 40 members, including her relatives.
According to sources from the Information Department of the Gujarat government, the President is on a five-day trip, where she is visiting famous places like Ahmedabad, Gandhi Nagar, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, Anand, Dwaraka, Poirbandar, Gir Forest, Diu and Rajkot. The source further adds that the President has three helicopters, with a carrying capacity of 15 people each, and the best accommodation facilities made available for all of them. The rest of the Presidents' entourage is on the five-day trip as well and all are travelling in air-conditioned buses across the state.
Three relatives are also accompanying the President and one of them is her brother G N Patil, an alleged accused in a murder case. According to sources from the President's Amravati house, no one from Amravati is accompanying her. But perhaps people from Jalgaon (her native place) are with her on the trip because a Gujarat Information Ministry officer confirmed that relatives from Maharashtra were accompanying the President and that one of them is her brother.
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'She's like an English babu'
One of the BJP ministers from Gujarat who was with President Patil, says, "She reminds me of the era of the Viceroys, when the English babus were least bothered of the rest of the country. When there are floods are in Andhra and Karnataka, the President is enjoying her trip, eating the best of the delicacies of Gujarat. Not even once has she offered to cancel the trip."
According to sources from Gujarat the President on her trip also broke the age-old tradition of delivering a speech on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti. The Presidents trip to Gujarat has brought her criticism not only from the opposition party but also from the Congress.
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'It's a regretful event'
Prabhat Jha, National secretary, BJP says, "If the constitutional chief of India ignores the statement of Pranab Mukherjee, of spending less money andu00a0 not wasting the money of the government unnecessarily, then it is a regretful event. What can one expect form others?"
However, most Congress leaders shied away from offering an opinion on President Patil's trip. M Veerappa Moily, the Union Law Minister said, "I don't want to comment on the issue." Congress MP Rajeev Shukla says, "I am in Johannesburg for the Champions trophy and do not know anything about the issue." However, one Congress MP, who did not wish to be named, stated, "If the President has taken these many people with her, then it is wrong on her part. She shouldn't have done it."
'Your taxes and mine'
According to Gujarat information officer, everyday the President's men are eating the best delicacies and more than 75 plates of food are being made especially for the President and her men. "Even today (Sunday) on her visit to Rajkot, she will be dining with not less than 75 people," says the officer.
Media personality Pritish Nandy tweets,"As for austerity, the President is now off to Saurashtra with her family entourage of over 100 people! On your taxes n mine."
The Other Side
Archana Dutta, Press Secretary for the President, said, "The number is highly exaggerated. Yes, there are people with her, but it's less than 50 and they are bearing their own expenses. They are paying for their travel, accommodation and food. Yes, the President's brothers are accompanying her on the trip, but they are the President's guests, which she is entitled to have along."
Charges of nepotism
Controversies have dogged Pratibha Patil, even before she became the President. A look at allegations made against her:
Shielding her brother
Rajni Patil, a professor in a Jalgaon college and the widow of murdered Congress leader Vishram G Patil, claimed that Pratibha Patil's brother G N Patil murdered her husband. She accused Patil of shielding her brother.
According to reports, G N Patil was the mastermind behind the murder of the V G Patil, who was killed in 2005.
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Promoting her own son
Charges have been made against Patil for promoting her own son during the announcement of the candidates for the Maharashtra assembly elections. It was widely reported that her son Rajendra Shekhawat was nominated from the Amravati seat for the elections, only because he's the son of the President. However, Shekhawat denies this allegation. Patil's son was earlier denied a ticket from the Congress in the 2004 assembly election, but in 2009, while his mother holds the post of the President of the nation, he easily managed to get a ticket.
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Bank scam
Patil, in 1973, had set up a co-operative bank named Pratibha Mahila Shahkari Bank, to empower women. The license of the bank was revoked in 2003 by the Reserve Bank of India for alleged financial irregularities. According to reports, one of the reasons listed by the RBI for cancellation of the license was the faulty loan policy of the bank and waivers on loan interests given, among others, to Patil's relatives.
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Sugar factory scam
Patil was the founder member of a cooperative sugar factory Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana. According to reports, the factory was allegedly found to be a drug trafficking ring and was even declared a defaulter for failing to repay a bank loan of Rs 17.5 crore. Pratibha Patil was the chairwoman and director till she became the Governor of Rajasthan.
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MP fund scam
During her tenure as the Member of Parliament from Amravati, there were allegations of her transferring funds worth Rs 36 lakh from her MPL fund to an organisation run by her husband Devsingh Shekhawat. This is in violation of the government rule an MP cannot transfer the funds to organisations run by their own relatives.
What tweets say
Shilpavk: 100-strong entourage or not, President Patil is a sad replacement for Dr Abdul Kalam.
Anaghh: Prez son gets ticket & she takes 100 persons as entourage to saurashta...kash meri bhi Maa Prez hoti
Sa_lil: P Patil is a shame, a blot on d Prez's office. Aren't these ppl mindful of how history will view em?
Who's the worst President?
Patil, for sure. She certainly pales in comparison to her predecessor APJ Kalam. I'd choose him for another term over her in a second.
Sadira Khan (24) flight attendant, Byculla
Patil would win. She believes in ghosts of dead leaders and god know what else. Having such a large contingent to protect her and her family is just unwarranted.
Vicky Seth (25) entrepreneur, Malad
Patil. She hasn't done anything great except for being a constant factor at award ceremonies.
Gaurav Gupta (24), PR executive, Borivali
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