A few questions to Mrs. Bedi

Dear Dr. Kiran Bedi

For a long time you were our role model. I doubt whether you would still be.

When you came to the ICAI for a memorial talk and I was asked to do a MC, I accepted the role with alacrity. You wouldn’t remember now, but you turned around to see who it was when I, introducing you in a three liner, said you were a former All-India National Lawn Tennis champion.

You being the first woman IPS, you having the gall to tow away Mrs. Gandhi’s car, your role as IG Prisons Tihar were all stuff of which legends were made. And when you became a part of a national campaign, now come to be known as Team Anna (though I dislike the phrase) things apparently changed.

In the aftermath of the of the Travel-bill scandal, I have a few questions to ask of you. I trust you will favour me with a reply.

1. Did you use the gallantry award discount to buy your tickets and then charge your client the full fare? If so did you give them those tickets in original and charge them a higher fare?

2. Did the tickets if surrendered to client show the full fare or the concession fare?

3. Did you buy economy class ticket and then charge your client business fare? If so did you give them those tickets in original and yet charge them a higher fare?

4. You had said that the clients knew what you did and they appreciated it. Yet media reports suggest that your clients were not aware of it. How do we reconcile these two statements?

5. You said the trustees of your NGO have now indicated that you don’t have to save money this way. Can you confirm whether the trustees knew that you inflated your claims?

6. You have said that the trustees of your NGO have asked the travel agent to return the excess charge. Does it refer to the travel agent in his capacity as agent or in his capacity as trustee?

7. Why should the travel agent make the payment? Is it because the account with the agent is in the form of a current account? Did the travel agent buy tickets at a lower price and invoice it to you/your client at a higher price?

8. The agent has now put in his papers. Looks like he feels that he has been made a convenient scapegoat. What’s your view

9. You said you have no regret about all this and even wondered since when is saving regretful. Do you honestly believe that this is the definition of saving?

10. Does the end use of the money or returning the money absolve a person of the original sin? If the corrupt return the money either before or after being caught are they absolved of what happened?

11. Would it not have been better to have asked the client to reimburse the actual fare incurred and ask them to pay the difference as speaker’s fee? Or is there a tax issue to it?

12. You spoke about politicians wearing a mask. Are you now wearing a mask in still claiming innocence? Would it not be a lot better to have just indicated that this was an error of judgement?

13. What kind of message does this send to the young Indians who can tweak for themselves what they think is “eligibility”, “saving” and “noble cause”?

14. I had held this back but you constantly seem taunting people saying what you did was right. You have now said that if Kejriwal had known the full facts he would not have disapproved of what you said. Can we know the full facts then please?

And finally let your team not mix matters up by throwing innuendos on others saying they are character assassinating your team. Most charges by others on your team seem factual; though the conclusion that someone may draw based on those charges can be different.

Remember this letter comes to you from someone who has held you in high esteem

Regards
Pattabhi Ram
patbram@gmail.com