Press Briefing Wednesday, 28th September 2011

Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi said the BJP has never really digested the loss of office, the loss of power since 2004. From the heights and the delusionary delights of India Shining, they have never been able to digest the fact that they lost power. If you remember, from 2004 itself, several dates were set by them for the demise of the UPA government and the earliest of them was September 2004. Astrologically auspicious dates were chosen. Such dates were extended from time to time to pronounce the imminent demise of the UPA. Finally the BJP thought that they got their golden opportunity when the nuclear issue and the 123 Agreement and the vote of ‘no confidence’ occurred but as the date of the fact drew nearer and they realized that we will stick to our principled stand and that we had many would support us in that principled stand and that we had a very-very strong likelihood of winning the vote, they thought that the only way they could possibly grab power is to create a doubt and uncertainty about that vote of confidence and that is why you had the pranks and the childish activities of BJP MPs doing the drama of bringing notes into the House and making wild allegations. This was to cast doubt on what they knew was the inevitable result and the supreme irony is that while their members are in jail without a shred of evidence, they are accusing us of being complicit without producing any direct or indirect evidence. As I leave this topic, I must remind you that these shenanigans were initially the consequence of the vaulting ambition of one man to be the Prime Minister at any cost and the subsequent frustrations of the BJP were the reflections of the collective ambition of several pretenders of the throne. Unfortunately, for them what proved correct was that classic phrase of Mark Twin who said the reports of my demise appear to be highly exaggerated. A third shock awaited them after the shocks of losing in 2004 after the shock of not finding the UPA falling or disappearing as they expected and after the shock of UPA winning the confidence vote, a fourth shock awaited them when in 2009 far from anywhere coming near the power, they found an enhanced majority for the UPA and then a fifth – a few months ago when after over 800 assembly seat elections, they have won a princely figure of 5-7 not worth mentioning. This is a historical perspective to show the reason for the festering frustration of the BJP. That is why they disrupt parliament. That is why the maximum loss of time both from 2004 and from 2009 inside parliament statistically has been because of irresponsible disruption by the BJP in parliament. That is why they attack the constitutional authorities like Governor at the drop of a hat. That is why they attack Governor in Karnataka to shield and protect a corrupt Chief Minister and Ministers and that is they are now attacking the Governor in Gujarat to do the bidding of the man who is most powerful for them in their own party the Gujarat Chief Minister who calls the shots. They have no regard for the constitutional propriety of principle and it is their naked thrust for power and for unprincipled politics. That is why the raised the bogey of black money and not once in six years from 1998 to 2004 have they even shed a crocodile tear for black money and that is why they raise the issue of corruption when no government has done more concrete steps on anti corruption measures then the UPA. The BJP knows it. On 2-G nothing new has happened. Whatever is criminally liable or not liable is over in 2008 or 2009 and is being examined by the Courts and last week a summary note appeared on a RTI query. I am not getting into the note but I am reminding you, in law, and in fact, if ex-post-facto in 2011 a factual summary is followed by judgmental sentences by an officer, does that decrease or increase the guilt of anybody either in criminal law or civil laws. The event is over. Somebody is summarizing it in 2011. Can it create guilt if it does not exist and can it absolve guilt if it exists? Let me reverse the position. Will the BJP accept the note? How can a ministerial note possibly have any effect on guilt? For the last two weeks, you are having absolute cacophony just to create an ambience of instability or ambience of uncertainty because they know what Janata did not give them; they must get it through unauthorized means. I have a very strong objection on behalf of the Congress Party that the Press Release today by the BJP is nothing but a verbatim summary of Dr. Subramaniam Swamy’s arguments inside the court. He is arguing the matter in the court for the fifth day and possibly will continue the same tomorrow also. For 5-6 days, on a subjudice matter, the court has not passed any orders but the BJP is putting forward the same arguments – word to word. Do we have any discipline, system or self-restraint? Can you prematurely pass judgment on the same facts and arguments and this whole drama and misinformation that while Mr. Raja is in jail, why Mr. Chidambaram is not in jail? Do they know what they are talking about? Mr. Raja is accused of criminal offence but Mr. Raja could possibly be held guilty for a variety of allegations that he changed the date of 10th January to 15th January and he allotted 121 licences, that he fixed a short time and that he changed the meaning of first-come-first served. Mr. Chidambaram is not accused of any of that. Mr. Chidambaram and his Ministry opposed first-come-first served and suggested auction. Mr. Raja and his Ministry has cited January 2003 cabinet note saying this issue of pricing need not go to GOM. It need not go to inter ministerial consultation. Does the fact that Mr. Chidambaram did not resign from the cabinet or did not fight, make him criminally liable and ultimately this issue of pricing was to be decided between the Finance Ministry and the Telecom Commission on 10th January and then on the same day 121 licences were issued. So there has to be a difference between allegations of policy versus allegation of criminality. The BJP is making allegation on two criminal law proceedings. A spurious distinction is made. Mr. Jaswant Singh is questioned or not questioned and Mr. Chidambaram is questioned or not questioned is in the domain of the investigative agency. No investigative agency is obliged to question a person because the BJP says so and if the investigative agency is wrong, there is a trial court and Supreme Court to over-turn it. Incidentally the CBI says that they have questioned Mr. Jaswant Singh since was the head of the GOM. That is the hollow nature of the attack and therefore, as the Prime Minister has said it all, it is nothing but frustrated outpouring of those who want to grab power by ulterior motives. The BJP does not hesitate to attack the Prime Minister, the Congress President and the UPA day in and day out and when Prime Minister responds perhaps in too gentle or gentlemanly manner, they feel victimized. This is hypocritical and double standards. It suits them to allege dissension in the government. It suits them to make subjective self serving adjectives that the Home Minister is sulking. This is a party which is lecturing to us and the nation. This is the party which comes from a rich tradition of dissension for decades between their top two leaders Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani. This is the party which has leaders, some of whom talk to each other occasionally on some days of the week and most days of the week, they do not talk to each other. This is a party which you got on candid camera with leaders like Uma Bharti squabbling with the party president where their own party president was in fact expelled or removed. They are the ones who are lecturing us on dissensions. I would like to offer a bargain to the BJP. If the BJP stops telling lies about us, we will stop telling truth about them.

To a question over the fact that in the RTI query, the loss to the exchequer has been termed as Rs. 1.76 lakh crores, Shri Singhvi said that I am going to be restrained in my comments for the simple reason that while the BJP does not believe in constitutional propriety, I think it is important to say 2/3 things. Certainly the basis of that figure should be investigated and I am sure with the multiple civil and criminal enquiries going on, it must be investigated. We should reserve comments until the final figure after such investigations are available. In any event, we cannot and have never accepted this fantastic figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. We have said that it may be and that too on the assumption that things might have been different, it may have been possible that some figure is there and to that extent you are right, there would be a vindication but subject to the outcome of that enquiry.

To another question on the statement of Arun Jaitley, that they do not have numbers, Shri Singhvi said that it is only those who do not have numbers are hungry for power.

On the question of the reaction of the Congress party over the statement of Prime Minister, Shri Singhvi said that the PM has said that we should move forward with perception.

To a question over Finance Minister and Home Minister meeting the Congress President separately, Shri Singhvi said that this is the classic example of BJP trying to mislead the nation. They are not able to produce any concrete evidence – audio, visual or any other form – to suggest involvement of one congressman. Whatever evidence is available, that points to the involvement of these gentlemen including bringing the money physically inside the House. As the date of no confidence drew nearer and the UPA stood strong on their principled stand, the only alternative left to them was to create doubt.

On another question as to why the Prime Minister has to tell the nation on his return abroad every time that he will complete full term of five years, Shri Singhvi said certainly that is the way some people in this country think. That is the way the BJP think when it breaches the age old convention of not attacking the PM when on foreign soil but we don’t expect the BJP to have any regard for constitutional conventions. As far as your question is concerned, the PM needs no assurance. He happens to be a single longest serving Prime Minister after Shri Nehru.

On the question of the reaction of the Congress party over the statement of Shri Keshav Rao on Telengana issue, Shri Singhvi said I think it is regrettable but understandable because of the high emotions running on Telengana issue and I think it does not in any sense encourage or desired but we can only request all, persons surcharged with that emotions to exercised far greater restraint because after all we are all trying to solve the issue and such statements will not help in solving the issue especially from the fora which might send a wrong message.

On the question of Central government’s stand on Afzal Guru mercy petition, Shri Singhvi said our stand on such matters does not change like weather. Our stand on such matter does not swing like pendulum. Our stand is the same that everyone especially all stakeholders must continue to have faith and reliance on what is essentially a legal and constitutional process and nothing must be said or done which disturbs or undermines that faith.

On the question of the reaction of the Congress party over the statement of te Home Minister of Rajasthan government over the killings in police firing in Gopal Garh in Bharatpur, Shri Singhvi said I think he has explained it. It is but obvious that if he made it, it is totally wrong but I do not think because he has apparently clarified that he has been misquoted. There can be no doubt, if he has made it, then it is wrong.



(Tom Vadakkan)
Secretary, AICC