Cash-for-vote scam back to haunt BJP

If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) didn't have enough trouble, now an old wound is being re-opened - the cash-for-votes scam.

Many say it was the lowest point that the Lok Sabha ever hit rock bottom. Why did they do it? Why did the leadership appear surprised when they knew about it all along? These questions are being raised again and the answers are disturbing.

In July 2008, the nation had watched as three BJP MPs waved crores in cash inside the Parliament. They said they had been bribed by the UPA government to abstain from voting in what was the UPA's first confidence motion. The UPA win was marred by accusations of vote buying.

The BJP soon submitted video tapes to support its accusation. A seven-member committee started investigating the scandal. However, the tapes were never made public.

Now in September 2009, the scandal has returned to haunt the BJP. Expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh told NDTV he had warned party supremo L K Advani against getting involved in the operation.

"There was some strange fellow, whose name I don't recollect, some Hindustani. He came here with Sudheendra Kulkarni. I remember very well. I told Advaniji that please don't associate yourself. I went to the extent of going to his house and saying I never drink before sundown but I was so disturbed by this man that I had taken a drink in the daytime before coming to you," said Jaswant Singh.

"If a BJP person is caught taking cash for questions, then the whole thing becomes suspect. Just imagine BJP people in Parliament to be showing rupees, and people say, 'Nahin yeh inka apna kaam hai'. That is the credibility!" said senior leader Arun Shourie.

The UPA wants this fresh disclosure investigated against the BJP, put on the mat by its own.