Press Briefing Monday, 13 July 2009

Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi addressed the media today.


Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the Left parties in a coalition had always treated themselves a notch above ordinary mortals and rest of humanity as they always put themselves and their principles on a pedestal .The Left parties have never stopped preaching to others on issues like corruption, etc. Thus the UPA government finds it astonishing that in one voice, both the party and government in Kerala were supporting corruption and corruption charges. The party and government in Kerala gave an advance chit of innocence, acquittal and exoneration to Mr. Vijayan without even wanting an enquiry or investigation much less a criminal prosecution and charge-sheet. He said that the Congress party was not concerned about the massive internal fights and divisions in the CP(M) whether in Kerala or West Bengal or at the national level be it the Chief Minister versus Vijayan or somebody else versus somebody else and that this was an internal domestic matter. He said that his comments were restricted to the very strange spectacle of the CP(M) and the CP(M) led government coming out openly even against the investigation and enquiry of serious charges of criminal embezzlement and corruption. The first citadel fell when during Singur and Nandigram which showed the true face of the Left parties. Now Kerala shows the Chal, Charitra and Chehra of the Left parties he added.

Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that though irrefutable evidence surfaced in High Court proceedings the state government of Kerala acting through its Advocate General said that no sanction should be given for prosecution. One would have thought that the Left would see this as an opportunity to set an example and to come clean instead the Left parties did the opposite.

To a question on the acquittal of the accused in the Professor Sabharwal murder case he said that he did not want to comment on the decision of the court. He however reiterated that from day one there was allegation that the entire prosecution was in the hands of the state government in which the CM and other ministers were openly supporting the principal accused. The decision made by the court depends on the quality of the prosecution he added. So it depends on how the facts of the criminal act are put forward. He reminded the media that many a times the court observes that the accused is guilty but due to lack of evidence they cannot punish him. He recalled how Professor Sabharwal’s son had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, even before the prosecution had commenced, that this entire investigation was a sham and that there was collusion between the state government, police and the accused. He said that nothing better could be expected of the completely blinkered, biased, lackadaisical, one sided state government of Madhya Pradesh. He said that this was not an ordinary crime but a case where students had mercilessly killed a teacher in front of a camera. If in a case like this the court has had to acquit the accused then it can only be attributed complete prosecutorial collusion.

 

(Tom Vadakkan)

Secretary, AICC