[ The list of corruption scandals this year includes allegations of widespread corruption as India
By Rama Lakshmi
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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greets delegates during an Indian Labor conference, in Singh, the economist credited with unleashing dragging his heels while one of his government ministers presided over a telecommunications scandal that cost the country billions of dollars. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)(Manish Swarup - AP) |
But as scandal after scandal rocks his government, analysts and opposition lawmakers are questioning his ability to discipline corrupt colleagues and stop wrongdoing.
Although no one has suggested that Singh has personally benefitted from any of the scandals, even some in his Congress Party concede that the sleaze that surrounds him has begun to tarnish his squeaky-clean image.
"The public perception about Manmohan Singh was about decency, dignity and moral authority," said S. Prasannarajan , the managing editor of the newsmagazineIndia Today. "The politics of greed, the leitmotif of Indian democracy, has taken the sheen off the much feted gentleman-prime minister."
Singh, 78, a soft-spoken, Oxford-educated economist, has listed corruption and crony capitalism as among the biggest problems India India
Singh's domestic troubles come as his global stature appears to be rising. During his visit to India
The most recent scandal involves a telecommunications minister who resigned after he was accused of selling business licenses to select cellphone companies at throwaway prices, costing the nation about $40 billion in lost revenue. A recent government audit report said the licensing process was "arbitrary, unfair and inequitable."
Singh has been criticized for waiting until just three days before the audit report was released before asking the minister, Andimuthu Raja, to quit. The Supreme Court, which is hearing a public interest petition on the case, said it was "troubled" by Singh's "silence" on the matter.
Some Congress Party members have privately said Singh is simply unable to rein in colleagues in his coalition government because he needs their support to rule.
But analysts say he might have sacrificed his honor for power.
The list of corruption scandals this year includes allegations of widespread corruption as India
In April, at least two government ministers were accused of impropriety in a cricket tournament scandal.
In each case, Singh asked the ministers and party colleagues to quit and then replaced them. India
Singh's political opponents have seized on the scandals to question his credibility.
"The prime minister claims he is a man of great integrity and professes probity, and yet right under his nose . . . public money is being looted systematically by people who are part of the system and work under him," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, general secretary of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Singh's supporters say the opposition has no evidence against him.
"It is irresponsible to blame the prime minister when the country's economy is galloping ahead under his leadership," said Deepender Singh Hooda, a Congress Party lawmaker. "In the absence of any substantive issue, the opposition is using its spectacular imagination to drag the prime minister's name into this matter. His credibility needs no certification from a hallucinating opposition."
Last week, Singh appeared to be alluding to his troubles at a conference in New Delhi
"It is often said that these are testing times. In fact, I cannot help feeling that we in India
WIKILEAKS: SRI LANKA
A US Sri Lanka
The claim was reported in a message from the US envoy in Colombo.
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| Tamil diaspora protest Srilankan President's visit to United kingdom |
It comes as Sri Lanka UK
More protests are planned later in London
The demonstrations have been blamed for the Oxford Union's decision to cancel a speech by Mr Rajapaksa planned for Thursday.
Thousands of Tamil civilians are estimated to have been killed in a few days during a military bombardment as the 26-year insurgency ended in May last year.
Heathrow protest
The US Colombo
She said there were no examples of a regime undertaking wholesale investigations of its own troops for war crimes while it remained in power.
"In Sri Lanka
It is one of more than 250,000 classified American diplomatic cables, obtained by the Wikileaks website and released to several publications, including the Guardian and the New York Times.
On Thursday, parliament in the capital, Colombo
Dr Jaylath Jayawardena was accused of instigating a protest by a large group of Tamil demonstrators at London Heathrow Airport
Dinesh Gunawardena, a cabinet minister, called for an inquiry into the conduct of the United National Party MP.
Several government members then tried to assault Dr Jayawardena, who was protected by a few of his colleagues and some members of the ruling party.
'Shot while surrendering'
At least 7,000 Tamil civilians were killed in a few days of bombardment when the military cornered the rebels in a small coastal strip in May last year, according to a UN estimate.
Other estimates put the death toll as high as 20,000. Both sides have been accused of crimes against humanity.
The former army chief, Sarath Fonseka, said last year during his failed campaign for the presidency that military decisions had been taken in the final days of the war without his knowledge.
These included the president's brother, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, allegedly ordering Tamil Tiger rebel leaders to be shot dead as they tried to surrender, he claimed.
The Sri Lankan government said they were shot by other insurgents.
Mr Fonseka led troops to victory last year over the Tamil Tigers, but fell out with the president when he stood unsuccessfully against him in polls; he was charged with corruption and jailed.
Meanwhile, Colombo UK
Channel 4 said the video - apparently showing trussed-up male and female prisoners being shot dead amid taunts from onlookers - was taken shortly before the Tamil Tigers' defeat. ( Read more and watch video here)
