Man for all reasons

From spectrum to exam scores, A Raja gave a fair chance to all. If only people understood him

We sought him here, we sought him there, that damned elusive influencer, if we may mangle the famous lines about the Scarlet Pimpernel.

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Now our quest has come to an end, the man who sought to pressure a Madras high court judge for a favourable order in a marks scandal is allegedly none other than that man for all reasons, A Raja, the former telecom minister.

But Raja who is a self-proclaimed man of integrity says he did nothing of the sort. Oh, and he may or may not have handed out spectrum allocations to table napkin manufacturers but that is only because as a self-made man, he believes in giving a fair chance to everyone.

He may or may not have tried to make the Madras judge come around to the fact that a few extra marks here and there would not exactly set the Cauvery on fire.

To be fair to Raja, he is easily misunderstood. He is not like other uppity politicians who are not easily accessible or who expect others to do their work, dirty or otherwise, for them.

No, he openly states his case on the phone, even in person, whether it is a case of portfolio allocation or, in this case, marks. And full marks to him for that. Such candour and open conduct are rare in our polity.