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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 10, 2005

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National

Chapra: war of words continues

Neena Vyas

Minister rubbishes charge of `quid pro quo' on official's appointment

NEW DELHI: The war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal on the controversy surrounding the Election Commission's conduct of the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar last year continued unabated on Monday.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley alleged that IAS officer L.V. Saptharishi, who made serious allegations of partisanship against the Commission, had done this as a "quid pro quo" for receiving a three-year fixed tenure job as Director-General of CAPART (Council for the Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology) from RJD's Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad, a charge rubbished by Mr. Prasad.

"I will make public all the relevant documents related to Mr. Saptharishi's appointment in CAPART," Mr. Prasad told reporters, reminding them that Mr. Saptharishi was working as an official in the Commerce Ministry headed by Mr. Jaitley at the time of the Lok Sabha polls and Mr. Jaitley had described him as an "outstanding" officer.

Separately, RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad told reporters that the main issue was not the timing of Mr. Saptharishi's disclosures and allegations.

"He submitted a report to the Election Commission regarding the polling in Chapra (Bihar) at that time. The allegations made by him are not my allegations but those of an officer appointed as Special Observer by the Commission and representing the full authority of the Commission."

Newspaper reports

Mr. Prasad said nine IAS officers were working under Mr. Saptharishi as EC observers and he had chosen to station himself in Chapra on the day of polling and gave his report. "What was that report," Mr. Prasad asked. He said he read the report in some newspapers that the officer had come out with certain charges; he was asked by some reporters for his reaction and he gave it.

"All that I have said is that with due respect to the high office of the Commission, since the EC as an institution has been adversely affected by the allegation, the two Commissioners, B.B. Tandon and N. Gopalaswamy should voluntarily quit and make public the Special Observer's report on Chapra. I have not said that the Government should impeach the Commissioners, but that they should themselves resign."

Responding to a charge made by Mr. Jaitley that the RJD was denigrating a high constitutional office and his allegation that the United Progressive Alliance Government was systematically attacking constitutional offices, Mr. Prasad reminded the BJP of what they had said about former Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh when he visited Gujarat. "They said he was a Christian and Sonia Gandhi's nominee."

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