The All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Incharge of Telangana), Digvijaya Singh in Hyderabad on Sunday categorically demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi offer an explanation to people on the involvement of Union Ministers in different controversies.
At a press conference before addressing a meeting to commemorate late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's 94th birth anniversary, Mr. Singh said there was enough evidence that Union Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj had written emails to the British High Commission to grant visa to Lalit Modi.
This act of Ms. Swaraj, the Congress leader alleged, was absolutely against the business rules of the Parliament. He went on to allege that it was with the Prime Minister's nod that she had done so, to help Lalit Modi.
As for Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's role in helping Lalit Modi too, he recalled that she had shares in the business of the latter. This was also a matter over which the Prime Minister needed to explain to people, alleging that Mr. Modi was directly using his office and powers to help Lalit Modi out of the jam.
Likewise, in the fake certificates scam in which Union Minister for HRD, Smriti Irani was embroiled, it was regrettable that she was not clear about her own educational qualifications.
Even in the allegations of Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde's involvement in the 'chikki' trade, he said he wanted to know whether she had followed the due process of awarding the tender.
CBI probe
The AICC general secretary also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the cash-for-vote case and also the allegations of phone-tapping made by AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Mr. Singh opined that instead of talking about the Cash-for-Vote and explaining his version, Mr. Naidu was crying hoarse about his phone being tapped.
TRS supported Section 8 in Parliament
Replying to a question about the controversy over whether Section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh State Re-organisation Act should be invoked or not, Mr. Digvijay Singh said it was law of the land once Parliament passed the Bill. “It is for the Government of India and Governments of AP and Telangana to interpret the Act and apply it accordingly,” he said.
When a scribe pointed out that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar had opposed Section 8, he retorted, “You may ask Mr. Rao if he had supported a Bill that had such a section.”
Interestingly, Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and N. Raghuveera Reddy were present for the first time together after June 2 after the state was bifurcated, at the Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad. Other senior Congress leaders included Rajya Sabha Member K.V.P. Ramchander and Nandi Yellaiah (Lok Sabha) and Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and MLC C. Ramachandraiah were also there.
