Denial cannot shroud reality

A day after WikiLeaks released US diplomatic cables labelling Mayawati, chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a ‘virtual paranoid dictator', who once sent a private jet to Mumbai to pick up a new pair of sandals, she has gone on the offensive, terming WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange insane and called for him to be sent to a mental asylum.

But statements like this cannot shroud a person's lust for power or money. Mayawati has been criticised for excessive displays of wealth and power in a state riddled with poverty.

Allegations against her have often been made by political opponents, only to be denied repeatedly. In a country where corruption is rife and a recent movement against graft has had nationwide overtones, excesses like this must be investigated and the guilty punished.

The people must speak — whether it be through the courts or the ballot. Only then will the corrupt and the vain realise that they too are answerable for their actions.