New Delhi: At the core of the entire Jayanthi Natarajan row is the so-called ‘Jayanti tax,’ an expression which none other than BJP leader Narendra Modi had first used at a pre-election party rally in Goa to slam the conduct of the then environment minister. The sum and substance of his charge was that projects were not getting green clearance from the ministry until bribes were paid to then minister.
The BJP government seems to have taken belated cognisance of the Jayanti ‘tax’ — without the payment of which no file would move in the ministry — and review all such cases where illegality was involved. This indication came from Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday.
Incidentally, the Congress party had then reacted strongly to Modi’s attack on Natarajan with Congress general secretary Ambika Soni defending the former minister’s track record and questioning Modi’s attitude towards women. “How can anyone insult a minister who has done such good work? This shows how much Narendra Modi respects women,” Soni had then said.
Jayanti, too, had then reacted sharply and observed that Modi was targeting her personally as she had been speaking against his divisive politics. But, now, it seems that wheel has turned a full circle with Jayanti claiming that she was forced by the Congress to attack the BJP’s then prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi, in the Snoopgate controversy, despite her reluctance to take up matters that were personal.
Incidentally, Jayanti, in her press conference on Friday, cited several projects like Nirma and that of the Gujarat-based Adnani Group, in the case of which Rahul Gandhi’s office had made certain suggestions. According to BJP leader Subramanyam Swamy, these allegations could possibly become the basis for launching corruption proceedings against Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.
