Press
Briefing Monday, 3rd January 2011
Shri
Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi, while wishing media persons a
very happy and prosperous New Year 2011, said that May
all your hopes, ambitions and desires be fulfilled in
the New Year and May we have a country in this New Year,
whose growth, prosperity and vibrancy also grows in
leaps and bounds. We wish all of us and this country a
New Year free, from among others, the ills of terrorism,
deprivation and divisiveness and in particular we hope
and trust that there will be better, higher and more
comprehensive constructive cooperation from the
opposition to conduct and implement an important agenda
which this government has always had for the inclusive
growth and development of this country. There are many
beneficial legislative schemes and policies awaiting the
constructive cooperation of the opposition and only then
can we walk those extra miles towards nation building.
This is after-all not merely the beginning of the New
Year, it is the beginning of a new decade and unless we
start on that positive note of constructive engagement,
it is ultimately the country which will suffer. If you
recollect, a lot of the predictions about India, talk of
India in 2020, 2040 2050. We are now not too far from
2020 as the threshold of that decade. And before we can
even partially sit back, we have many-many more miles to
cover and in that journey the cooperation, the
constructive company of the opposition is necessary. So,
we hope and trust that this will be a new beginning in a
New Year and a new decade.
On the question of reaction of the Congress party on the
orders of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal on Harsh
Chadha’s appeal on behalf of his father Shri Win Chadha,
Shri Singhvi said I have heard of it barely an hour ago.
We will have to see the order, the context and the
details. The Congress party will certainly react but we
are not going to be hurried into reacting since some
news report has been carried and BJP has reacted. You
can rest assured, that after looking into it, we will
deal with it. Shri Singhvi further added that
unfortunately political parties’ considered view,
reflected view and reaction does not move as fast as
those who possess the orders and we are not going to be
hurried into reacting to it, certainly we will react but
give us time to look into. We have only just learnt of
it.
On another question of demand of setting up of a SIT on
this issue, Shri Singhvi further said that all demands,
reactions and all details depend on seeing the report
obviously. On considering our action, we are not a party
used to knee jerk unthought-of reactions. It is only a
patience which is required, nothing less.
On the question of all party meeting on 6th Jan 2011 out
of which three have confirmed their presence, Shri
Singhvi said it is very clear that complex issues
require not only collaborative, joint and constructive
effort but requires the widest possible consultation. If
on such complex issues, there are reactions or lack of
statesmanship, it helps no one, least of all the
principal stakeholder. We have progressively moved
towards a more rational basis for decision making on the
subject. We must contribute positively of our views,
howsoever different they are, howsoever they are
disagreeable with each other but to say that there is
per-se boycott, does not help things. As far as the
government, the Congress party and the UPA is concerned,
the policy is clear. We will go ahead. We have basis of
all material and I think this decision and similar
discussions will prove very fruitful, constructive and
very useful to arrive at whatever is the best decision.
On another question of the reaction of the Congress
party on the statement of Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the
issue of Prime Minister offering himself before the PAC
on 2-G spectrum, Shri Singhvi said the Hon’ble Finance
Minister has himself clarified and his statement is also
very clear. The statement goes into the true legal
position and is in fact emphasizing and underlining what
the Hon’ble Prime Minister himself sought to convey that
there is no compulsion, no legal or moral obligation but
nevertheless purely out of his own, in an effort to
engage the opposition constructively, the Prime Minister
has made the effort and the offer and Shri Pranab
Mukherjee, therefore, was only underlying that facet
that neither in law nor in morality, is any need for
such an offer arising. So he was stating the legal
position which indeed was behind the Prime Minister’s
own statement when he said that he is, nevertheless,
without such compulsion or obligation, offering.
On the question of the reaction of the Congress party
over writing of a book by Shri Suman Kabir, MP of TMC –
an ally of UPA, and dedicating the same to Mr. Kishan Ji
where the author has said that Ms. Mamata Banerjee was
present in the meeting with Maosits a year before, Shri
Singhvi said let us be clear that authorships, articles
or observations like this, do not in any manner, change
the government policy. Government policy remains the
same. It could be somebody’s personal and own view. That
may be a different matter. But the policy is one of
constructive engagement on one hand and one of utmost
care and caution on the security angle on the other
hand. In addition, we have not seen the details. We do
not know the details. Certainly, if there is something
which is highly objectionable, it can be looked into.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
