Press
Briefing Wednesday, 2nd February 2011
Shri
Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that the Karnataka Chief
Minister and the Karnataka Government are experts at
cover-ups, at white-washing, at legitimation and at
defending the indefensible. When there is patent
illegality, nepotism and the breakdown of law and order
and when it is visible to everyone, the entire party and
the Government machinery in that State springs into
action to do what they do best – misinformation and
distortion. A classic example is the report regarding
the serious acts of violence on minorities in September
2008 in that State. It is easy to forget now but please
remember that for over three months, there were series
of coordinated, concerted attacks on churches and prayer
halls across 5 or 6 districts of Karnataka – Mangalore,
Udipi, Chikmanglur, Kolar, Bellary and Damangiri -
across the length and breadth of the State. This itself
shows the organized coordinated character of these
attacks - 112 attacks in 2-1/2 months (August, September
and part of October) and the Government initially itself
blamed the breakaway faction of the RSS and then what
happened. Then the BJP did in classic BJP style what the
BJP does best – a white washing and paint job which
would put white washing and paint companies to shame.
The BJP and the Government appointed a Commission – of
the BJP, by the BJP and for the BJP. No attempt and
independent examination - no approach to the Supreme
Court Chief Justice, or the Karnataka High Court Justice
to appoint a Judge independently, no invitation to CBI
to investigate. No independent judicial investigation,
Enquiry Commission but a handpicked selected person – a
retired Judge appointed to do a white washing job. This
is a classic trick which the BJP did also in the Tehelka.
Remember – no FIR and remember the Phukan Commission –
handpicked selected to give a non report. As with
Tehelka, the same happened now – the so-called
Somashekhar Commission and that commission with due
diligence and due dispatch did its master’s bidding in a
few months like the proverbial ostrich in the sand it
gave a report. Remember, there were video recordings
showing the policemen joining the attackers. There were
2-1/2 months’ of attacks. There was visible evidence and
this report says unknown elements, misguided elements,
fundamentalist elements as if this happened like a
lightning bolt from the sky – no accountability, total
white washing and legitimation but that is not
surprising. Is it surprising, that when it comes to
saffron parivar, the BJP will do a white washing job. It
is shameful, the original sin was shameful, and the
cover up is despicable. This is an outcome engineered by
the BJP for itself. This is absolutely deplorable and
shows that the people of Karnataka, when faced with
violence and terror, can expect no action. Indeed it is
sprinkling salt on the wounds instead of trying to heel
them.
On the reaction of the Congress party over the arrest of
Shri A. Raja by the CBI in connection with 2–G spectrum
scam and whether it will affect on the credibility of
the UPA-II government and also the credibility of the
Prime Minister because Shri Raja was a Cabinet Minister
and it is the collective responsibility of the cabinet
and BJP saying it is too late and too little, Shri
Singhvi said all of you have seen that law takes its own
course, law is taking its own course. It also shows that
law moves and acts if you are patient. We are not
concerned in the least about the innocence or the guilt
but certainly we are concerned that all the doubting
Thomas’s sis who doubted the sincerity of commitment to
take action as per law should have been silenced. But
apparently they are not. Shri Singhvi further said this
is nothing but double speak. This is like ‘Panchtantra
tale’ and we are not in the business of satisfying the
political opportunism of entities like the BJP who
preach without practice. We are here only to let law
take its own course and also for the people to realize
that the course of law takes time because it involves
collection of material evidence and it does not work in
jerks and starts according to the whims and fancies of
individuals who wanted to work in a certain way.
Shri Singhvi further said that apart from the questioner
in the whole world, nobody will accept that the
credibility of the Prime Minister or the government is
affected. It is absolutely wrong. The credibility of the
government is enhanced by allowing the law to take its
own course independently and objectively. It shows that
without going into innocence or the guilt, this is the
government, unlike the opposition and other State
governments, which takes action according to law, allows
action to be taken according to law and allows the law
to take its own course. This is certainly at variance
with those who preach without practice, with those who
give lecture on credibility but do the opposite in the
states where they have grosser allegations and material
of corruption.
Shri Singhvi further added that the interpretation of
collective responsibility is absurd. The collective
responsibility in the constitutional sense has nothing
to do with criminal liability. What you are seeing is an
action in the criminal law and the doctrine of the
collective responsibility has no nexus for 100s and
1000s of miles with the action according to law in
criminal law.
On another question whether the arrest of Shri Raja
would affect the alliance in the forthcoming assembly
elections in couple of states, Shri Singhvi said this
has absolutely no reflection on the alliance. This is
nothing but the continuance of a legal process and the
taking of action according to law uninfluenced by any
other consideration. It has nothing to do with alliance
or party politics.
On another question on the speech of the Congress
President on the occasion of release of a postage stamp
and also the statement of Shri Venkatswamy, Shri Singhvi
said media is totally mistaken in misinterpreting a
statement which has deliberately been torn out of
context. The statement was made in respect of an
individual who had relinquished and retired from active
public life at the age of 64. That statement is
certainly not liable to be torn out of context. It is
not to be applied to any individual and, therefore, your
conclusion and suggestions are incorrect. Shri Singhvi
further said the party has taken note of the comments of
Shri Venkatswamy. It appears that he has lost his mental
balance. You can rest assured that appropriate action at
an appropriate time in the appropriate manner will be
taken.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
