The Hindu : Case being remote-controlled by Sonia: Badal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 21, 2003

Other States

Other States - Punjab

Case being remote-controlled by Sonia: Badal

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH Nov 20. The Shiromani Akali Dal president, Parkash Singh Badal, has charged that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau's case against him and his family was being "remote-controlled' by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. He said evidence was being fabricated to use it in the campaign for the forthcoming elections to the Assemblies in four states "as well as settle the Gandhi family's political scores against the Akalis".

Mr. Badal was reacting to reports that the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, had gone to Delhi to "seek legal and political clearance of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi'' for the case. "Today's development should leave no one in any doubt regarding the intentions of the Congress Party to fabricate figures in the case and use it in the on going election campaign in some States. Even the filing of the challan is being left to the Congress High Command to coincide with the poll campaign," he added.

In a statement released here, Mr. Badal came down heavily on Capt. Amarinder Singh for rushing to Delhi and "compromising the dignity of the office of the Chief Minister through his pathetic actions aimed at earning some brownie points from his bosses".

"We have always known and maintained that the entire drama of the case against us was being scripted, directed and enacted from 10 Janpath and only those officials who were willing to function as puppets in the hands of the Congress president had been chosen to man the Vigilance Bureau," he charged.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Case being remote-controlled by Sonia: Badal