The mota maal's in the fire

Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj’s accusation that the Congress-led UPA guzzled mota maal (fat bribes) by allocating coal blocks to private companies has made it the most quoted phrase in political circles this week. Swaraj’s comment understandably raised the UPA’s hackles, forcing Finance Minister P Chidambaram to respond within hours saying, “I think such phrases should be avoided in civilian discourse.” The next day RJD chief Laloo Prasad took up the fight on behalf of the UPA. “With regard to the mota maal remark by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, we want to know who used to take mota maal from the Reddy brothers of Karnataka,” he said, alluding to the proximity between the mining barons, the Reddy brothers of Karnataka, and the BJP. Swaraj then hit back on Twitter, “I would like to inform him and the country that the mota maal from Reddy Bros has also gone to the Congress Party.” For sure, this is not the last that we’ve heard of mota maal.