Press Briefing
Tuesday, 15th March 2011
Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media
today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said we are finding
statements on different days and different times
by the BJP leaders - the most recent was
published yesterday by Mr. Advani – who
sometimes refers to the Babri Masjid Ayodhya
incident as the ‘saddest day of my life’, as you
know, in his book. Now he refers to it as the
blow for the BJP and says it has done great harm
to its creditability and damaged its
credibility. We would like to ask, through you,
as to whether these are expedient temporary
comments, in view of impending electoral
contests, meant as usual, to fool the public or
they mean what he says and says what he means.
We are asking this because we find several such
distinctions without a difference made by the
BJP from time to time. Mr. Advani in particular
and the BJP in general seem to specialize in
making distinctions without differences or
differences without distinctions - something
like Mr. Gadkari referring to Karnataka as
morally wrong but legally OK. Here you have
sadness, you have damage but you have no
apology. You have a blow to the credibility but
you have no explanation. You do not apologize;
you justify it in and out of parliament.
Remember, we had the debate in parliament a few
months ago on this subject and there was full
justification. There was full endorsement. So,
are these forked tongues? Are these double
standards? Is this hypocrisy motivated by
political expediency and I ask again in
particular the temporary political expediency of
impending elections or is it another attempt to
fool the public, all the public, all the time or
is it some kind of genuine contrition. Only the
BJP and Mr. Advani can give an unequivocal
unambiguous clarification. But, unfortunately
each statement adds to the ambiguity, the forked
tongue and the double speak.
To a question on the reaction the Congress party
to the inclusion of pro-US elements in the
government as exposed by the wiki leaks, Shri
Singhvi said I would request the media not to
diminish the Indian democracy which is far
larger than these sensational tit-bits from
elements like wiki leak. If national political
parties or this whole country was to get into
reacting on a daily basis to weekly leaks of
wiki leak, I think this country’s democracy, its
spirit and its stability would be diminished. We
have made our stand clear and we are repeating
it again that these are elements of sensation,
more sense less. These are subjective views of
individuals at an unauthenticated unverified
stage. They are leaked unofficially. There is no
question of accepting their veracity. There is
no question of accepting their authenticity.
There is no question of considering them in
context or out of context because they are
piece-meal. There is no occasion for us to react
and dignify them with our reaction. We
completely deny the authenticity and reliability
of such statements. In any case, our decisions
and policies are not going to be involving
reactions to periodic leaks of wiki leak.
On another related question to the response of
Shri Mani Shaker Iyer to the wiki leaks and
whether it is the appropriate way to deal with
America, Shri Singhvi further said the Congress
party does not accept your evaluation at all.
These are observations of an individual
regarding another individual and you must seek
clarifications, as you have done, from those two
individuals having obtained from one, perhaps
you would seek from the others and even you have
mentioned a third name, even from the third.
There is no question of the Congress party
injecting itself or reacting to any of these
statements. We have made our general principle
clear on wiki leaks.
To another question on the reaction of the
Congress party over the blast in Assam
yesterday, Shri Singhvi said if there has been a
blast, then media should not only ask this
question from the Congress party but from other
political parties also. We expect that all
parties should condemn such attack in strongest
possible words. We should collectively condemn
the same.
On the reaction of the Congress party in
relation to the statement of the BJP on notice
served to Industry Minister of Gujarat by the
Income Tax Department, Shri Singhvi said BJP is
an opportunistic party and their campaigns are
misleading every time. Their only aim is to
divert the attention of the public from their
wrong doings. It is a state government issue.
To a question on income tax notice served to Mr.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, Shri Singhvi said we do not
comment on local proceedings against individuals
in this manner. Everybody has a legal recourse.
On the question of the reaction of the Congress
party on the statement of its General Secretary
Shri Digvijaya Singh on the on-going Jat
agitation, Shri Singhvi said this is his
personal view. The Congress party feels it is a
sensitive and on-going matter and it is the duty
of all stakeholders to find a solution to the
same. In this situation, we do not want to issue
any decision making comment on the same. There
was a meeting at high level today also in this
connection. We can only assure that genuine
issues will be taken up. Ways would be found out
to resolve the issue. There is no place of
violence for resolving the issue.
To a question as to whether the nuclear
liability of Rs. 15,000 crore is sufficient
keeping in view the tragic incident in Japan,
Shri Singhvi said it is a technical issue.
Although it is most unfortunate but you cannot
stop the process in India whereas solution has
to be found out. We should not and cannot ignore
the benefits in light of what has happened in
Japan. The quantum of amount has been arrived at
after great length of study on the matter.
To a question on the ensuing assembly elections
in West Bengal and the talks with Trinamool
Congress over seat sharing and whether will
there be a Deputy CM post, Shri Singhvi said
active on-going constructive fruitful
negotiations are on and we will arrive at a very
efficient operative solution and we will win the
elections on the basis of that operative
efficient joint coalition campaign. Shri Singhvi
further said that it is premature to comment
even on these things. Today our focus is on
winning.
(Tom Vadakkan)
Secretary, AICC
