Press Briefing Thursday, 17th Mar 2011

Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi said it is utterly regrettable, indeed completely unsupportable that the BJP is back to its old tactics of disrupting parliament acting contrary to all elementary norms of democracy. They are pretending to be accusers and it is funny that those against whom they have leveled accusations want to answer them in parliament, discuss issues in parliament but BJP wants parliament not to function. This is unfortunate because everyday can give a new excuse, a new pretence, a new reason and if individuals reasons everyday are to be the basis of disrupting parliament, then no parliament can function. This is reprehensible. It is wrong. It is anti-democratic. It is obvious that it is they who have something to hide, if they do not allow the parliament to function, not us. Secondly, yesterday, it was Gujarat, today some interpretation of wikiLeaks, tomorrow it will be a new excuse. Disruptions have to be a non-negotiable issue irrespective of reason, in any case irrespective of such reasons. Before I come to wikLeaks, I must add that does the BJP think that certain parts of India are above the law. That Gujarat is above the law, that the territory of Gujarat is an area to which the Income Tax Act does not apply or is it because every territory which is temporary under BJP rule should not have Indian laws applicable.  It is most regrettable because a mere question is asked under a statutory format, an act of parliament permits a department of Finance Ministry to ask questions and obviously preemptively for those who have something to hide, the question is not attempted to be allowed to be answered by creating an unfortunate ruckus in parliament. This is typical of those who want to create a self-serving arch of immunity around themselves possibly to hide illegality.  Certainly, if there is over 400 Billion US dollars of investment promised in one season, certainly there is a party which is not shedding crocodile tears about black-money, what possible sense of balance it can have to give us sermons to prevent the Income Tax department even from issuing a notice. They have not answered the notice. They have not responded on the merits of the questions, they have not told you that the questions have these answers, this is the position, this is false and this is true. They say I am above the law because I am the BJP. I am above the law because I am Mr. Narendra Modi. I am above the law because I am Gujarat. And then raise a state issue in parliament and then disrupt parliament. They did the same about Karnataka.

Turning to wikiLeaks, let us first understand clearly what is happening and what people are doing to destabilize this country forget politics, forget governments but the country itself is sought to be destabilized by people who have no sense of responsibility. Wikileaks are the subjective recording by Mr. 'A' of his conversations with Mr. 'B'as reported by Mr. 'A' to Mr. 'C' and sometimes referring to Mr. 'D'. It is amazing that an entire country with the history, the depth and the width of democracy which India has, must be held to ransom because of the subjective recording of a conversation between 'A' and 'B' by 'A' reported to 'C' his boss and referring to 'D'. In law, it would be called hearsay, on hearsay, on hearsay. It is hearsay on stilts. The original phrase used to be 'nonsense on stilts'. This is hearsay on stilts. But apart from this, let us look at the substance. There is no verification, there is no authentication, and there is no objective corroborative evidence of any kind to suggest that this bizarre incident which is described has taken place. Does the BJP and those who support BJP have any sense of responsibility that India is so shallow a country as to be governed by the accounts of American diplomats who have supposed to have written about our doings without any verification or corroboration even from American diplomats? This is irresponsible, it is irresponsible politics. It is irresponsible journalism. It is irresponsible creation of a chaos, uncertainty for own ends. If somebody thinks that they can increase their political ratings or if somebody thinks that they can increase their circulation or sales, let them remember that they have many 'No Confidence Motions'. Similar allegations were made beyond wikiLeaks also. After that we have won the elections. We have absolutely no evidence produced by anyone except the BJP which has the temerity to pass resolutions challenging the most remarkably clean integrity-wise and absolutely spotless Prime Minister. These are the people who dream and dream of replacing Prime Ministers but are destined to remain Prime Ministers-in-waiting. It is important to note that there are enormous factual inconsistencies in the report. I think it would require an ocean of salt before we started believing accounts from an unnamed, unidentified person - an American source - who is supposed to have seen chests of moneys. Does it sound usual behaviour to you that you will invite an unnamed, unidentified American person to show chests which have money and the whole country is supposed to be held to ransom is to be paralyzed, governance is to be stopped because somebody chooses to irresponsibly publish these as if they are gospel truths and more important supposedly responsible opposition chooses to pass resolutions on it. It would be a sad day and fortunately that sad day has not come and the Congress and the UPA will have allowed it to come when such irresponsible politics is allowed to take the place.

To a question if these reports are factually inconsistent, unauthenticated or unverified, that amounts to defaming the government, will you not go for filing a defamation suit against the newspaper/publisher, Shri Singhvi said you have completely reversed all elementary canons of allegations and proof. It is not for us to show that they are incorrect. It is for them who allege to show that they are correct. The burden and onus is entirely on them. There is no wikiLeaks to sue. This is an internet word. Certainly you can take it that we reserve all our rights. I am giving you an answer regarding what has been published today. Certainly I am not giving anyone a clean chit. Certainly I am not giving up any rights which individuals or governments or departments may have but the question today is what has been said to which you have no answer. There is not an iota of proof of any kind direct or indirect and, therefore, all that I have said earlier is important. Shri Singhvi further added that it is absolutely not worth dignifying with a response. It is for them who want to create sensationalism to produce that iota of supporting evidence. It is a very sorry state of affairs and deserves apology.

To another question as to why there has been no criminal investigation into Cash- for-vote scam, Shri Singhvi said whatever investigation has been done at that time is before you and it has presented a very murky story about those who are accusing us and not about us. About further investigation, that investigation may be going on. I have no idea of details of it but certainly to the extent the criminal evidence is found, it will be taken but that is no ground to create this kind of thing today.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC