Pranab Mukherjee upset at posters in capital

The power struggle within the UPA, which gained momentum after the Nira Radia tapes became public, has gone intense.

While the government agencies are still struggling to find out how the tapes in possession of government agencies — Income tax, CBI, ED — were leaked, the appearance of certain posters on the walls of the national capital has left the UPA’s prime trouble-shooter and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee fuming.

The posters depict him as the right candidate for the prime minister’s post besides discussing defence minister AK Anthony as the other candidate.

It claims that India will not be safe in the hands of the latter (Antony) as he is an American “agent” and “representative” of the Vatican in India.

Delhi police have swung into action, and removed all posters after Mukherjee’s private secretary registered an FIR with the Parliament Street police a couple of days ago.

Sources said Mukherjee himself got down from his car to read one such poster pasted on the wall of a government building.

He has lodged a protest with prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi over the issue.

Mukherjee suspects the hand of a leader from Andhra Pradesh in the operation. Sonia Gandhi has reportedly asked the Andhra Pradesh chief minister to verify the antecedents of a man from Secunderabad - Ravi Kumar — who allegedly got these posters printed in the name of a city organisation and take action.

The poster carries the print line of a Secunderabad printing press. The Delhi police are in touch with their Andhra counterparts to find out what provoked Ravi Kumar to do so.

But this is not the first time the capital witnessed such incidents. Whenever there is a power struggle within the ruling coalition or a party, such posters, pamphlets and other material appear from nowhere.

This, however, will put a shadow on the two-day AICC session and the CWC meeting on December 18. With AK Antony being made the first speaker at the AICC session to speak on its political resolution, speculation is rife that the wings of Mukherjee have been clipped.

The fact that commerce minister Anand Sharma has been made the chairman of the drafting committee on foreign policy resolution above foreign minister SM Krishna is also an indication of powershift within the Congress.