Press Briefing
Thursday, 10th March 2011
Shri Abhishek
Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said, in the last day or
two, serious allegations have come in the public
domain about large scale concrete illegalities
especially in the nature of bribery, corruption
and nepotism in the state of Karnataka.
Obviously, these are at the stage of allegations
and I am saying at the outset that even if they
are fractionally correct, they are extremely
serious. They need to be immediately responded
to and explained to this nation by the BJP under
whose total protection, endorsement and support
Mr. Yeddyurappa and his family are treating that
state as their own personal fiefdom. Let me
share with you some facts. It is now clear that
the enormous sum of Rs. 27.18 crores has been
donated to a Trust called Prerna Educational
Trust. This Trust is controlled entirely by Mr.
Yeddhyurappa and his sons and other family
members. From a virtually non-existent
monetarily body, it has received from at least
10 concerns Rs. 27 crores in the last few
months. Some of these moneys have come obviously
for nepotistic considerations quid-pro-quos
involving the public servant Mr. Yeddyurappa,
his children and his family. In that state, a
private company whose name has been in the
public domain since yesterday owns a valuable
joint venture. The joint venture is with the
Karnataka public sector company. It has brazenly
violated but because that private company
through its sister concerns has donated this
money, they are obviously enjoying the
protection. The companies, who are used to
transfer these moneys, among others in
particular South West Mining - the South West
Mining, which is the sister concern of the
company which has Jindal Steel, which has the
concession in that state, is supposed to have
paid usually more for purchase of land for Mr.
Yeddyurappa’s son. The land value is Rs. 1 crore,
they have paid Rs. 5 crores. That is one
bonanza. A second company called Industrial
Techno Manpower Supply, which is again a sister
concern of the same group, has given another
large donation. Now remember, as far as the main
company is concerned, of which these companies
are sister concerns, they have a major joint
venture of mining in that state. In that joint
venture, Rs. 118 crore’s demand has been made by
the Karnataka Public Sector entity - MML which
is a joint venture with this company. It has a
demand of Rs. 118 crore. Not a penny is sought
to be recovered. The joint venture MOU and share
holders’ agreement is not cancelled. There are
several other violations e.g. that company had
to give a matching mine – not given, Rs. 118
crores not paid. No action has been taken
because each of the three sister concerns of
that company has given these huge donations, it
has purchased - over purchased - given jackpots
and bonanza by giving money to the children. So,
this is the open loot going-on. If there is any
credible explanation, this has been there for
over a day and a half, we have heard no credible
explanation. It has been in the public domain
through media in general. It has been put to the
BJP specifically. They have taken no action,
provided no explanation and told the nation no
action which they propose to take. I am asking
you one question. Why is it that a company with
such large interest - that one transaction has
old money - a debt of Rs. 118 crores - the total
is much more, why would it gave donation to a
Trust. Are there not a large number of genuinely
needy and poor persons who can get donations?
Why this Trust is chosen - a Trust which is
entirely Mr. Yeddyurappa family controlled Trust
with himself and his sons. Why is that the
donors are direct major operators in that state
and the donations are by their sister concerns.
Why it that the sister concerns are Rs. One lac
share companies. You can finally link this with
several other BJP states where this is
happening.
This is the chal, charitra, chehra universally
of BJP, not an exception, not a stray incident.
Take the case of Uttarakahand, it is also in the
public domain. An affidavit filed in the court
will tell you – 52 hydro projects. One land deal
of Rs. 400 crore but we never get answer because
they want to divert attention. They want to
constantly shout from the roof tops. They want a
JPC and they want to obstruct Parliament. They
want 20 enquiries and 15 arrests but they will
never tell you what they are doing. This is
absolute, utter hypocrisy at its worst. It is
double facedness, it is speaking with a forked
tongue and trying to fool all the people at all
times. It is unsupportable and we condemn it and
unless we have explanation which is credible
forthwith, the nation would be condemning them.
On a question whether the Congress party will
fight the corruption in Karnataka with JD(S),
Shri Singhvi said it is not a question of along
with or not along with. Today, there are so many
allegations made against us by him who belongs
to the BJP and by you who belong to Left. It may
or may not be they are sleeping they are bed
fellows. But when such a gross case of facts
comes, we don’t bother whether you are JD(S) and
non-JD(S). We are attacking the issue and it is
the classic practice of BJP to digress and
divert from the issue by making it political.
To another question whether it is outsourcing of
briefing to JD(S) since they have already done
it on the same subject, Shri Singhvi said that
yesterday’s briefing we have not taken it. We
have waited for an explanation consciously. We
have waited for something which will show that
this is not right. We have been responsible and
patient. Certainly, because a Regional party has
taken it yesterday, are we barred in law or by
the media to take it after 24 hours? You are
completely abdicating public interest if you are
going for the most irrelevant part of this
issue. We are on common cause with everyone
including the BJP if they take action against
corruption.
To a question whether the Congress party will
have a successful seat sharing with Trinamool
Congress in West Bengal assembly elections, Shri
Singhvi said I do not want to compare two
incomparable states. Today, if the Congress
party has got a good deal despite criticism of
the media in Tamil Nadu, we welcome it. Rest
assured – both the Congress party and the
Trinamool Congress will get a good deal although
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are two different
states.
On the question of reaction of the Congress
party that Trinamool Congress is fielding 45
candidates seats in Assam, Shri Singhvi said I
am not going to talk about Assam unless
finalization is done on every issue because that
muddies the water. But you can rest assured that
the people who are running scared there and
indeed who are indulging in breakups, indulging
in deliberate provocation to create disunity is
the BJP. They are running scared because they
know they have no identity in that state. Our
arrangement and adjustment will not be just
bilateral or trilateral, it would be a wide
sweep and that front will show a pro-incumbency
for the third time.
(Tom Vadakkan)
Secretary, AICC
