Press Briefing Wednesday, 1st Apr 2009

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that the Indian National Congress strongly condemns the action of senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh, who has been caught red handed on television, distributing cash to voters in Gajaria village, Barmer constituency. This is a serious election offence, and the Election Commission should take very strong legal action against Jaswant Singh, and also disqualify his son Manvendra Singh, who is the local BJP candidate, from contesting the Lok Sabha election.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that the action of Jaswant Singh is clearly illegal, violative of election law, and all norms of fairplay. It is significant to note, that Jaswant Singh has not even cared to deny this act, but has sought to justify it on specious and flimsy grounds. He claims that he was not the candidate, and that it was a tradition in his family to distribute money to help the poor, and therefore, there was nothing wrong in his action. This is an argument that makes a mockery of the law, and insults the intelligence of the citizen. In the first place, Jaswant Singh was attending an election rally at Gajaria, in support of his son Manvendra Singh. He was not attending a private function in his residence. Therefore, the action of distribution of money carried out by him and by Kailash Meghwal, National Vice President of the BJP, was clearly with a view to bribe and influence the voters, to vote for Manvendra Singh. This is a clear violation of election law, which prohibits coercion or bribery of voters.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan further said Jaswant Singh has also put forth the extraordinary argument that it was a tradition in his family to help the poor, and therefore, the distribution of money at the election rally was justified. If this ridiculous argument was to be taken to its natural and logical conclusion, it would become legal for all candidates to distribute money on this ground, as all contesting candidates would undoubtedly like to help poor people in their constituencies, and above all, the Government of the day would be . if this logic were valid . perfectly within its rights to help poor people in the country by announcing several anti-poverty schemes. Thus, Jaswant Singh.s explanation is disingenuous, and utterly unconvincing. His action and justification seek to make a mockery of election law, by openly defying it. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the Election Commission to take salutary action against Jaswant Singh, as well as the BJP, and also disqualify Manvendra Singh from the contest.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan further said that the BJP stands exposed in its constantly lowering standards of probity in public life, and lack of respect for law, and the model code of conduct. Only two days ago, L.K Advani spoke about the issue of black money, and yet one of his senior most colleagues, has now been caught red handed bribing voters, in an attempt to influence them to vote for his son. The BJP, which has already attempted to communalize these elections in the worst possible way, is now vitiating the electoral atmosphere in this country by bribing voters, and using its vast hoards of ill gotten money, in a naked display of money power to hijack and subvert the normal democratic process, through bribery. There is deafening silence from Advani, and the top BJP leadership on this blatant violation of law, and bribery practiced by Jaswant Singh. The BJP has lost all moral right to speak about probity and respect for law. Advani would be well advised to first set his own party and its members in order, before seeking votes from the people of this country, since a leader who cannot keep his own house in order, can never hope to run a Government. This action of Jaswant Singh, followed by his feeble justification and the silence of the BJP, as well as its failure to condemn Jaswant Singh is further compelling proof, that the BJPs claim of a strong leader in Advani, who can deliver good governance, is not only hollow and false, but hypocritical in the extreme.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC