Indian MP's taking bribe. So what's new?
Well, what's new this time, is that 11 of them were caught taking bribes for asking questions in the Indian Parliament. Sample some of the (ridiculous) questions that they put up (some of these were eventually tabled in the Parliament!)
"Is it true that while NRI firms such as India Uncut of USA, Sepia Mutiny of Britain and AnarCapLib of Netherlands have been allowed to invest in Indian SSIs, the reputed German investment firm Desipundit has been denied permission? If so, the reasons thereof? Is the Union Government of India planning to make automatic the long procedure of permission for SSIs to import new technologies such as Trackbacks, Pingbacks, Blogrolls, Splogs and Hitcounters?"
The NRI firms mentioned are prominent Indian blogs.
"Whether the Railway Ministry has placed any order for purchase of the Yossarian Electro Diesel engine from Germany? Is the ministry aware that the Tom Wolfe committee report in Germany has halted its induction into the Euro Rail system?"
"Whether the Government has given sanction for the seed trial of Salinger Cotton of Monsanto? If so, has a report been prepared on Catch 22 cotton so far?"
"Has the ministry lifted the 1962 ban it imposed on the book “For whom the Bell Tolls� by Ernest Hemingway and the 1975 ban on Ken Kesey’s book “One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest� and Hunter Thomson’s book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas�? If so, when were the bans removed?"
It would all be so funny if it wasn't so pathetic. What annoys me is that this is so pervasive that it doesn't surprise me anymore. And one wonders why India hasn't progressed in the last 50+ years of Independence. You know where all that development money goes. Sheesshh...
You can read the full account of the expose by one of the main journalist, Aniruddha Bahal, who has made a career out of exposes like this.