Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Quotes of the day over Wikileaks’ revelations that Congress paid off opposition MPs to win a trust vote in 2008:

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee: There is a diplomatic immunity to what a sovereign nation discusses with its mission abroad; no access can be made to them. The government cannot confirm or deny it… whatever happened in 14th Lok Sabha, cannot be dragged in 15th Lok Sabha.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader L.K. Advani: The NDA demands that this government has no moral right to continue and it should quit. Indian democracy has been maligned by these exposure…

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Kishore Chandra Deo, who headed the parliamentary committee to probe the ‘cash for votes’ scandal of 2008: My report is not yet a closed chapter. I had suggested further probe by investigating agencies.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj: This has shamed Indian democracy. All this has taken place right under the nose of a so-called honest prime minister.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley: The government which survived on the strength of such a political or moral sin has no authority. We demand that this government must resign immediately.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat: This is an act of bribery…How did 19 MPs cross vote? Some of them actually accepted and told the leadership in their party we have taken money.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury: It was a case of criminal culpability and the government should come out clean by getting it investigated from an appropriate agency.

Samjawadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had voted in favour of the UPA government in 2008: I had also played a role in saving the government. This defames even me. If all are painted with the same brush, we will also lose face.

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who was accused of being the middleman in the ‘cash-for-vote’ scandal: I don’t see any substance in this… A gossip has to be substantiated or any truth has to be substantiated with evidences.

Congress leader Satish Sharma: I do not have any political aide. There was no aide of me by the name of Kapur as reported by the paper. I vehemently deny these malicious allegations.

Nachiketa Kapur, who the US diplomatic cables quotes as the one who distributed money to MPs: I do not know anything. I have not witnessed anything.I am in the same party. I have not worked with him (Satish Sharma).

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, whose three MPs were said to be bribed in 2008: My party openly voted against the UPA. We had extensive discussion with the TDP, Left and TRS and we decided to vote against the government and we did vote against the government and we had only three MPs at that time.

US embassy: The US Department of State does not comment on materials, including classified documents, which may have been leaked. We cannot speak to the authenticity of any documents provided to the press.