While the military has set up a court and started proceedings, the government has only initiated an enquiry commission, which ultimately will fizzle out like all its predecessors. Some of the students questioned felt that had there been a strong leader in the centre or a militaristic regime the scenario would have been completely different. In a democratic country like India, politicians will commit the most heinous of crimes and still go scot-free, she said. Manish Bhawani of Kirori Mal College also echoes similar sentiments. Had a similar scandal happened in China, the guilty would have been put before a firing squad.
Most students think politicians are accepting bribes in the name of party funds.
Rajesh Mishra of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College asked that when Bangaru Laxman had accepted money in the name of his party, he should have given a receipt. The fact that he did not clearly implicates him for accepting bribes from an unknown defence dealer. Most of the students, however, agreed that that the implications of the Tehelka Tapes are only temporary and much needs to be done to weed out the malaise from the system. The sting operation has only come as a warning to wrongdoers who will be more prudent in the future while they accepting money clandestinely. The student community unanimously feel the tehelka expos is a big leap in uncovering the muck and the corruption that is eating into our system.