This is as bad as it can get. Indian politicians have always been synonymous with corruption. Not only they are up for sale, their prices change in accordance with the laws of supply and demand.

What we saw in the Parliament yesterday may look ugly, but it was something that was waiting to happen. It was always on the cards.

I would also like to point out the MP from Outer Manipur Mani Charenmei said that he didn’t join the UPA government for 4 years because it had a different agenda on redrawing the boundaries of northeastern states from the rest of the country (he is in favour of the old Naga demand that Naga dominated areas of Manipur should be brought under Nagaland). Now he was voting in favour of the UPA government because they ’assured’ him that they would ’revise’ their stand. This is absurd! Then Sibu Soren openly asked for ministerial portfolios to support the motion.

Going by the votes only and seeing how the MPs voted, it is clear that cross voting took place. Not only money changed hands, but many other things were traded like lucrative ministerial births, withdrawal of CBI cases against criminal MPs, multi-million dollar government contracts etc.

This is disgraceful. This would not have happened if the Supreme Court punished the offenders in the JMM bribery scandal where Narasimha Rao’s Congress government bribed 3 JMM MPs.

With all its deficiencies and drama, Indian democracy is not up for sale.

This largest experiment in empowering the common man with a right to oversee who he entrusts with this power to be governed by, has so far not betrayed the nations aspirations.

It is to the credit of this common voter that he gets a government which he deserves.

Unlike many countries where political dissent is crushed, Indian democracy even allows the farcical display of wads of cash in parliament, with claims of horse-trading flying thick and fast.

But ultimately sanity prevailed.

The issue at hand – the Indo-US stood settled.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with one brilliant stroke settled the leadership issue in Congress party, direction of the nations foreign policy, trashed an outdated left ideology and broke all domestic opposition down thorough the middle.

One does not mess around with a man like that.

Unfortunately Prakash Karat did.

The communist looked so foolish promoting the nuclear deal by supporting the BJP while withdrawing support for the Congress government over the same issue.

BJP foolishly tried to evade the debate by creating the cash for vote drama.

Even if there is truth in cash for vote drama, why did the party try to cash on it at the most crucial moment when defeat was staring in the oppositions face.

However, collective wisdom of the parliament took the wisdom in its stride and passed it by.

Money will always remain a allurement wherever democratic institutions function but when people entrust you with the power to govern, everything and everybody is not up for sale.

Its is to the credit of Somnath Chatterjee that after spending a lifetime with Communist Party of India (Marxists), he was forced to make a choice of maintaining the sanctity of the position he held because of the trust the people had reposed in him.

Wads of cash in parliament? What more proof one needs...but I disagree.
I have one question to Advaniji. He told the reporters later that BJP members who alleged the cash was being exchanged for abstaining in parliament had informed him earlier. Why did you allow such an act, Sir? There are many check points where corruption issues are reported; police station, anti-corruption bureau, or even CBI.
Why disrupt important proceedings on the historic day?
’Horse trading’ is an open secret in Indian politics. No need to overemphasize with such dramatic on act on the floor of the most sacred house of the country.
They could have done a Tehelka kind of sting operation when the money was actually exchanged. Wads of note don’t prove anything but how much respect MPs have for parliamentary proceedings.
Hats off to the Speaker who conducted and concluded the day’s proceedings in a very dignified manner. He didn’t give up in political pressures to resign or react during the troubled phase.
Indian parliament has many men of strong character.
Finally, Constitution of India will allow not MPs to sell off our democracy. There are many check-points. My hope is not dead...

Most definately. What on earth can make me believe otherwise? Indian politics has been infamous for such misdeeds of few hungry wolves( why a wolve n why not any other animal? **** suspense *****) , and this time the tv footage only strengthens this notion. Making a mockery of the world’s largest democracy, those crooks showed what Indian politicians are all about .

Do we really have democracy? - Even if democracy prevails - its been up for sale since long.

They are from opposition, it could very well be a setup and thus i’d like to disagree. But one things for sure, Indian politics is touching new lows, no matter what the truth is.

If they are true then it’s really a shameful event for Congress and India that ruling party tried to buy support (nothing new with that though)

And if they are not then we are witnessing one of the cheapest political gimmicks played in India, ever.

I really wish if it had been a neutral/agree/disagree debate; I would have felt more than contented voting there.

Y’know Indian politics has degenerated to the extremes and there is little hope for any rejuvenation. Our MPs and political parties so easily fit themselves into this couplet:

Bas ek hi ullu kaafi hai, barbaad gulistaan karne ko;
Har shaakh pe ullu baitha hai, anjaam-e-gulistaan kya hoga?

Do not go by arousing words that media uses.

Lets look at the bigger news. Someone was given bribe and they did not take it.
I was really disgusted by coverage I saw on CNN-IBN yesterday and for once wished that I could see National TV.
Indian Media needs to grow up and not grow dramatic and copy the ridiculous US media.

Desh has stolen this debate away. No need to say more i guess.

Kudos for the ”chance pe dance.”

Desh has stolen this debate away. No need to say more i guess.

Kudos for the ”chance pe dance.”

We’ve had enough proofs before of the kind of dirty money that exchanges hands in our democratic structure. Right from the lowest levels to the upper echelons, the system runs on money. So what happened was hardly surprising.

And for those who are distressed at the entire incident, it would only be hypocrisy to say that it shouldn’t have happened. At least it would open the eyes of those who still continue to revere politicians as deities.

Perhaps the opposition felt that the dramatization was necessary. It was an open secret that money was offered and the UPA had ss much money power that made the Opposition helpless. We don’t have an adequate law and order mechanism that would have acted swiftly had the MPs approached the police.

What would the police have done in a situation where it was evident that the party in power was behind it? There might not have been any straight forward action and even if the police was inclined to act procedurally they would have delayed it enough.

One thing that the MPs could have done was to have called the Speaker to his private chamber and demanded action, but I don’t know if this option occurred to them and if it did occur to them, I don’t know the reasoning behind their choice of a visible confrontation.

Shame, yes, But isn’t time we stop pretending that this is not happening?

It had its shock value. What is surprising is that all the shock was simply brushed aside. Even by the journalists.

Having commented on the ”Agree” Column, I have a question:

The agree, disagree columns are a little ambiguous. What is the question? Agree with what? Disagree with what?

I have written a summary response to the Prime Minister with no more than a passing reference to this incident at

http://isolated.instablogs.com/entry/reply-to-the-prime-ministers-closing-speech-by-a-surprised-common-man/

Whoever thinks Indian democracy had anything to do with actual governance is a nutjob!! Its all about the money honey... An uncle of mine is a dedicated polician and even has been elected to the parliament once or twice...

but does the man have any talents besides having a rowdy entourage and ”people” who can make calls and get transfers/postings done or undone if yu give them cash or find a solid family connection to boast of?? Are people in his constituency any better off than they were before??? NO NO and NO!!!

Bureaucrats are the ones running the show and the ones that are designated to ”assist” the netas in their work are the actual MPs and MLAs!!!

Congress had refuse to take the support offered by Deve Gowda and Ajit Singh as they had put conditions. If Congress had wanted to get through the trust vote by hook or crook it would have definitely welcomed these two leaders with their 6 MPs into its fold with open arms, by conceding their demands which were within their powers to grant.

refused

I am distressed by the language some of the politicians used both inside and outside the parliament. Amar Singh of Samajwadi Party was particularly offensive and used the foulest language. He called the three MPs who displayed money in the parliament as nagarbadhu (prostitute).

@ Paulraj...

"... If Congress had wanted to get through the trust vote by hook or crook it would have definitely welcomed these two leaders with their 6 MPs into its fold with open arms..."

This is rubbish. Congress is the most corrupt party in India. The nuclear deal was a complete sellout. The urgency shown by Congress to go to the IAEA smacks of foul play. It is entirely possible that top leaders had their foreign bank accounts replenished generously by USA.

Why do people kill for a political post? Political murders in India is very common and it is a deadlier game in the grassroots level. During the first Panchayat elections in Bihar after decades over a hundred candidates were killed. The reason is that politics is the occupation that you can hope to make billions without working and turn your billions of black money to white.