What if Revanth spills the beans..?

Those were the days when AK Mohanti was heading the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The sleuths caught a low-level power sector employee for demanding a mere Rs 50 from a farmer. He

was not just caught, he was sent in remand. But those were the days when Rs 50 was big money for a poor and harried farmer. Exploiting the farmer was a crime, the ACB argued and maintained that corruption is corruption regardless of whether the amount is a paltry Rs 50 or a hefty Rs 50 lakh.

The same argument, of course, applies to the Rs 50 lakh bribe that is making news now.

The ACB is methodical when it comes to trapping the corrupt. They note the numbers on the money bills, smear Potassium Permanganate on the wad of notes. When they nab the bribe-taker, they make him wash his hands. The Permanganate-smeared hands turn purple. From this came the expression ‘Catching red-handed.”

Is there a conspiracy in fixing Revanth Reddy? What, pray, is controversial here? L’affaire Revanth can be looked from two angles.

TDP leaders, who wanted to win the MLC elections by hook or crook, found nominated MLA Stefenson vulnerable and wanted to exploit him to the hilt. They promised him big money. But, Stefenson approached the ACB, which laid a trap and an unsuspecting and utterly over confident Revanth fell into the trap. He was caught on camera spreading out wads of currency on the table for Stefenson. When trapped, Revanth was defiant and is a show of misplaced machismo, he even twirled his mustache betraying a ‘devil may care’ attitude. His partymen rushed to his defense and cried wolf in front of the eager cameras. Moments later, the videos were out and the braggadocio simply vanished.

If the TDP, as it claims, is indeed honest, they should have laid a trap for Stefenson if indeed he offered himself for ‘sale.’ They could have shown the footage and claimed moral high ground. Had they done it, they could have emerged as saviors of democracy. They didn’t. Everyone knows what had transpired actually.

Revanth blabbered on and on and sang without invitation into the spy cams. He sputtered words like Chandrababu, Babugaru, Naidu Garu, Boss many times during his conversation. It doesn’t need an Einstein-like IQ to make out who the deputy leader of the Telangana legislature party was referring to. But, the boss is deafeningly silent. He doesn’t tire claiming to be squeaky clean politician and speaks ad nauseam about moral values. He was chief minister for eight years eight months and thirteen days and is again the CM for the past 12 months. He sure is not so naïve as not to have known how the ACB functions.

Interestingly he was the very crusader who wanted to have his ‘enemies’ behind the bars based on number claims that were neither tested nor proved. Now, he wails over the arrest of his Man Friday, who was caught with his pants down. Sources say he is spending sleepless nights. Is it due to his concern for democracy or worry for Revanth, who may begin to ‘sing’ once the ACB shoots of searing queries? No one knows. Even a small kid is no asking “How could they be so shameless even after they are caught?”

Did Revanth do it on his own? Or did he do his Boss’ bidding? Whatever the answer, his ‘Boss’ is clearly in soup. He is worried that Revanth could spill the beans and reveal the identity of the Boss. If Revanth is just an errand boy, then who is the kingpin? Both Revanth and his elusive ‘Boss’ may not come forth, but it is the duty of KCR government to unravel the mystery.

If KCR fails to do this, then these political peddlers will get bolder, brazen and shriller. They would unabashedly flaunt wads of green notes on their buy-all mission!

(Exclusive to Sakshipost)