Cash-for-vote the scandal of century: BJP (Lead)
September 6th, 2011 - 8:41 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Describing the cash-for-vote scam as the “scandal of the century”, the Bharatiya Janata Party Tuesday said that arrested Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh should reveal who was behind the attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the 2008 parliament trust vote.
“This was a scandal of the century which happened in parliament… the question arises who was the beneficiary of the action,” BJP leader Rajiv Pratp Rudy told reporters.
“Whosoever’s name comes, the beneficiary of cash-for-vote scam was the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government,” he said. The UPA government had won the trust vote over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
“I think this is a very important aspect…how come nothing has been raised against the beneficiaries of the act? The way Amar Singh has been arrested and a charge sheet filed against him…it is time for Amar Singh to give clarification and say on whose behalf he acted.”
Amar Singh and two former BJP MPs were Tuesday arrested and sent to judicial custody for alleged involvement in the cash-for-votes scandal.
BJP general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad, meanwhile, said the source of the money was a major issue.
“The CBI is not investigating where the money came from and who gave the money…these are issues on which CBI should focus,” Prasad said.
Party leader Balbir Punj accused Delhi Police for trapping the whistle blowers.
“I don’t have any faith in Delhi Police and this government. Delhi Police took three years, they only worked when the court forced them. Even a blind man will know that government is entrapping the whistleblower,” he said.
On July 22, 2008, three BJP MPs - Ashok Argal, Fagan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora - waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote by the Manmohan Singh government, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the government.
The charge sheet alleged that during investigation “sufficient evidence” came on record that on the morning of July 22, 2008, Amar Singh “hatched a criminal conspiracy with his secretary Sanjeev Saxena to deliver cash of Rs.1 crore as illegal gratification.
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- Whose frontman were you: BJP, Left ask Amar Singh - Sep 06, 2011
- Expect fair probe in cash-for-vote scam, says BJP - Jul 18, 2011
- Bid to target ex-MPs in cash-for-votes scandal: Naidu - Sep 10, 2011
- Gadkari meets jailed party colleagues in Tihar - Oct 31, 2011
- Cash-for-votes: BJP feliciates Kulkarni, other accused - Nov 19, 2011
- BJP stages protest in parliament complex - Sep 08, 2011
- Amar Singh being made scapegoat: Mohan Singh - Sep 06, 2011
- Cash-for-votes scam: Amar Singh, three others summoned - Aug 25, 2011
- Make me cash-for-vote scam witness, not accused: Kulkarni - Oct 01, 2011
- No prima facie evidence against Amar Singh: K.C. Deo - Jul 19, 2011
- Amar questioned, denies role in 2008 'horse trading' - Jul 22, 2011
- Saxena, Hindustani's judicial custody extended - Aug 05, 2011
- Cash-for-votes: BJP MP booked; bail pleas of three put off - Oct 03, 2011
Tags: alliance government, argal, balbir, bharatiya janata party, currency notes, delhi police, judicial custody, Lok Sabha, mahavir, manmohan singh, nuclear deal, parliament trust, pratp, punj, ravi shankar, ravi shankar prasad, sabha member, scandal of the century, trust vote, whistle blowers