New Delhi:
Home Minister P Chidambaram is being targeted again by the Opposition in Parliament, which wants him to resign over allegations that he used his office to help a former client who he represented as a lawyer. The controversy led to adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Earlier this year, the Delhi Police withdrew cases of forgery and cheating against a businessman named SP Gupta. The entrepreneur was also being investigated for allegedly misusing Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi's names in his letterheads. In 1999, Mr Chidambaram allegedly represented Mr Gupta; the minister's aides say he cannot remember if that is correct.
In May this year, the Delhi Police received a file from the Home Ministry about Mr Gupta's cases. The BJP says the cases were then withdrawn. The Home Secretary, RK Singh, says that's not correct.
"There was no conflict of interest," he said. "The Ministry of Law was consulted, and a decision was taken that the petition (asking for cases to be withdrawn) and the Ministry of Law's advice may be forwarded to the Delhi government for appropriate scrutiny and action. The Home Minister wrote only that 'convey advice of law ministry'."
BJP's Yashwant Sinha stated that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediately expel Mr Chidambaram from the Cabinet.
"He is not only guilty of improper conduct but also of a criminal offence. An offender cant be the nation's Home Minister," said Mr Sinha.
"He being in office dangerous for the country. So we had asked the PM to ask him to resign, also want PM to give an explanation. This is an open and shut case, no ambiguity at all. We demand not his resignation but demand he be dismissed immediately," Mr Sinha added.
The report on Mr Chidambaram was printed in a newspaper today, and was cited by an angry BJP in Parliament. The Opposition party has also been demanding Mr Chidambaram's resignation over his alleged role in the telecom scam which was executed in 2008, when Mr Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. A Raja, who was Telecom Minister, has been arrested for selling valuable mobile network licenses and spectrum at dirt-cheap prices to ineligible companies. Mr Raja and the Opposition contend that Mr Chidambaram sanctioned his decisions, and is therefore equally responsible for what is believed to be India's largest-ever swindle.
Earlier this year, the Delhi Police withdrew cases of forgery and cheating against a businessman named SP Gupta. The entrepreneur was also being investigated for allegedly misusing Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi's names in his letterheads. In 1999, Mr Chidambaram allegedly represented Mr Gupta; the minister's aides say he cannot remember if that is correct.
In May this year, the Delhi Police received a file from the Home Ministry about Mr Gupta's cases. The BJP says the cases were then withdrawn. The Home Secretary, RK Singh, says that's not correct.
"There was no conflict of interest," he said. "The Ministry of Law was consulted, and a decision was taken that the petition (asking for cases to be withdrawn) and the Ministry of Law's advice may be forwarded to the Delhi government for appropriate scrutiny and action. The Home Minister wrote only that 'convey advice of law ministry'."
BJP's Yashwant Sinha stated that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediately expel Mr Chidambaram from the Cabinet.
"He is not only guilty of improper conduct but also of a criminal offence. An offender cant be the nation's Home Minister," said Mr Sinha.
"He being in office dangerous for the country. So we had asked the PM to ask him to resign, also want PM to give an explanation. This is an open and shut case, no ambiguity at all. We demand not his resignation but demand he be dismissed immediately," Mr Sinha added.
The report on Mr Chidambaram was printed in a newspaper today, and was cited by an angry BJP in Parliament. The Opposition party has also been demanding Mr Chidambaram's resignation over his alleged role in the telecom scam which was executed in 2008, when Mr Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. A Raja, who was Telecom Minister, has been arrested for selling valuable mobile network licenses and spectrum at dirt-cheap prices to ineligible companies. Mr Raja and the Opposition contend that Mr Chidambaram sanctioned his decisions, and is therefore equally responsible for what is believed to be India's largest-ever swindle.
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