Charges against Swarajya Party

SERIOUS charges of corruption have been persistently made against the Swarajya Party during the last several months, both in a section of the Press and by some well-known public men. It was scarcely to be expected that the enemies of the party would let slip the opportunity afforded by Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Bengal of prejudicing the foremost public man of our time against the party by repeating these charges. It is, therefore, with no sense of surprise that we learn from the latest issue of Young India that “some distinguished public men” came to him and warned him against playing into the hands of the Swarajists and urged him to use his influence to purify the political life of Bengal. To claim a monopoly of honesty, integrity and purity is, we know, the peculiar failing of a class of public men, and in the present case, no one who is familiar with recent controversies in Bengal will have any difficulty in “spotting” the “distinguished public men.” But the Mahatma, who had no axe of his own to grind, proved too shrewd for his disinterested advisers. He told the gentlemen that if they would be prepared to substantiate the allegations, he would gladly investigate them and if he found them to be true, he would have no hesitation in denouncing the party. This was more than the informants of the Mahatma had bargained for, and the only reply they could give was that the belief about corruption was common property, but that it is was not always possible to give legal proof.

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