Can you arrest a sitting lawmaker in India: Nope!

Can this happen in India? Nope, never!
I live in Illinois and the Governor of Illinois – land of Linclon- has been arrested today (December 09, 2008) on corruption charges. He was actually put in custody (though later on released on bail, but his passport was forfeited). Read part of the story as narrated by CNN:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to hear federal corruption charges against him. He was released on $4,500 bail.

Rod Blagojevich is serving his second term as governor of Illinois.

The governor, who appeared in court in a blue jogging suit, also had to forfeit his passport.
FBI agents arrested Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, early Tuesday on federal corruption charges related in part to the selection of President-elect Barack Obama’s successor to the Senate, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald declared Tuesday a “sad day for government.”
“Gov. Blagojevich has taken us to a new low,” he said. “This conduct would make [Abraham] Lincoln roll over in his grave.”
Lincoln was a congressman from Illinois before becoming president.
Fitzgerald said the government had bugged the governor’s campaign office and placed a tap on his home phone.
Each was charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery, authorities said.


Charges are also that he tried to sell the senator seat vacated by the President -elect Obama (senator from Illinois). In USA constitution, if a senator seat is vacated, the Governor has the right to nominate a person for rest of the term.

In India, politicians cutting across party lines, ideology and of all sizes and shapes and gender indulge in blatant scandals, misappropriation of public funds. They are thick-skinned to whom no law authorities can touch. You touch a politician in India and huge roar and cry will be there! How dare you! Can a credible governance emerge in our counrty?
To read the whole story about Blagojevich, click on this link.

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