Highlights: Arun Jaitley on VBS files, money trail

BJP's National Spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman and senior leader Arun Jaitley respond to allegations of corporate fraud levelled against BJP President Gadkari after Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh called for a probe into the matter.

• There has been unprecedented corruption in the last few years
• LPG, diesel price hike is affecting all sections of society
• Traders against proposal to bring FDI in retail
• Congress President in her speeches yesterday said that Centre sends money for states ; states send taxes to Centre so that is their right, not a favour
• She said we want Lokpal, Opposition did not agree; they wanted a weak LokpalThe whole country saw the Lokpal farce till midnight; then why blame it on the opposition?
• On corruption, she should have seen who was sharing the stage with her and then she would not have been able to mention that word
• This is not a diary(VBS files) - it is almost a statement of accounts
• The diary mentions government officers, Steel Ministry officials, officers in PSUs as recipients
• The diary was seized in Dec 2010, and 22 months later the central government has not acted
• It is not merely a revenue issue, it is a corruption issueThe allegations against Veerbhadra Sigh could be shameful for any political party. Someone who is a minister, Chief Minister must always be demonstrably more honest than others.
• The issue is not whether the minister puts his initials down as VS or VBS - what we need to investigate is what those entries mean. It is a money trail - from Mumbai to Shimla
• Unaccounted money finds itself in a ghost account and Veerbhadra and family are beneficiaries
• An LIC agent in Shimla Anand Chauhan opens an account on PNB - and deposits lakhs in it every few days
• Chauhan draws cheques on that account and pays LIC. The sum is 6 Cr rupees and the cash is converted to cheques and single premium policies are bought in the name of 4 people - those people become beneficiaries - Veerbhadra Singh, his wife, and two children
• All these transcations are between 2008 and 2010 - from Mumbai diaries to Shimla policies
• Veerbhadra Singh was a royal - he has real estate - he had an apple orchard
• He gave that on contract to one Bishambhar Dass - who pays an annuity of Rs 10.5 lakhs a year - that finds mention in the IT returns - 2009, 2010, 2011 7.5 lakhs, 15 lakhs and 25 lakhs has been declared as his agricultural income
• So when Anand Chauhan was quizzed- the question arose how to explain the unaccounted money
• So a retrospective agreement was drawn up - so Bishambhar evaporated-17/6 /08 Bishambhar Das agreement15/6/08 - a new agreement was drawn up where 2% is given to Anand Chauhan and 98% for Veerbhadra for the produce sold  - naturally this was false as returns had been  already filed
• The questions are obvious - you have filed two sets of returns, two agreements, ghost accounts are opened. There are so many evidences in the first instance
• CBI cannot investigate payments made to its own officers
• This is not the first time a demand for SIT has been made
• Nitinji has said any one can investigate his businesses - now that is upto the government
• CBI is investigating the coal scam - we will raise the issue in Parliament again
• Our demand that the allocation be cancelled stands
• Economic activity should have clarity and be legal - anyone not following the law should be investigated and punished
• I have on the basis of documents and reports presented them to you - IT depts in Shimla and Mumbai have these facts
• But I believe that it is not a tax case - this is a corruption case that should be investigated
• (ON TIMING) We did not have the papers - the revelations have been made 2 weeks ago by the media.
  

• There is an effort by the Congress to show that the allegations against Veer Bhadra Singh as a matter of Tax avoidance - it is not that, it is an open and shut case of corruption
• It is an effort to cover up - BJP demands it being treated as corruption and be investigated in all seriousness
• I don't think ministers should be selective in picking in  choosing - Party president has said that any competent authority can investigate
• The BJP president has himself responded to the allegations in one on one questioning in TV channels. Party endorses his opinion
• BJP is not on the backfoot in issues of corruption
• Congress has been running away from answering questions - nor have they been open about investigation
• You found cabinet ministers of the union cabinet saying there is no need to investigate (Vadra) matter
• There are very serious allegations against Veerbhdra Singh
• There is a clear case of corruption in high places - the money trail needs to be searched and investigated