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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
BANGALORE, Feb 4: Congress men should not drink, should abstain from dealing with drugs and other intoxicating elements. They should not celebrate their family marriages with pomp and ostentation. They should not criticise party policies and other leaders and colleagues in public.
Well, the list goes on. Even if one or two such codes of conduct are strictly implemented, most of the party leaders at present will lose their membership, and their posts.
Three young Congress men -- Mohan Kondajji, member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and H Ramkrishna , vice-president, Karnataka Youth Congress and a former member of AICC National Council B G Kotrappa -- have brought out a colourful brochure of code of conduct for Congress members which will be adopted at the Davanagere convention of the party, to be presided over by Sonia Gandhi, on Friday.
Most of these rules will amuse anyone familiar with the present-day politics. A sampling: No active Congressmen should own any liqour shop or deal inintoxicating drugs and narcotics.
Every Congress man shall strictly observe the laws with respect to land ceiling, dowry etc. The newly elected or nominated member to the Legislature or Parliament should submit property returns on a form prescribed by AICC within three months and should intimate any change to party office. (Several union ministers have not done this and one Union Minister from Karnataka specifically refused to do this and was in limelight for this reason two years ago.)
Every Congressmen shall be prompt in payment of taxes and government dues. (Most of the ex-ministers were forced to clear their dues only when the court ordered them to do so with a threat of attachment of their property)
All Congressmen , especially ministers, MPs and MLAs, should obstain from lavish display of wealth and while celebrating marriages of their wards. (A visit to Bangalore Palace Grounds anytime of the year will reveal how marriages are occasions to flaunt the senior leaders' affluence)
No Congressmember shall collect funds without the permission of the party president and all such funds collected should be duly accounted for.
No member shall criticise any other member either in public or through the media....(Well, those like T N Narasimhamurthy will be unemployed if this is strictly followed).
Other gems in the brochure include; A Congress member should be a habitual wearer of Khadi, should perform manual labour for certain hours, etc.
Any takers?
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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