Arun Jaitley (LoOpp, RS) calls up a CNN IBN news editor claiming some BJP members have been offered bribes for cross voting (Horse trading). He would like CNN IBN to conduct a sting operation to expose the bribers.
The CNN IBN reporter, Siddharth Gautam, was introduced to Sudheendra Kulkarni , as the BJP appointed points-man for the sting operation.
BJP MPs claimed they were offered bribes by Mr. Ahmed Patel (Indian National Congress). They were to meet Mr. Ahmed Patel or his representative in some hotel for money to change hands. The CNN IBN reporter and his team made the necessary arrangements to conduct the sting and catch the perpetrators on film.
On the allotted day and time, neither did Mr. Ahmed Patel nor any of his representatives appear. There was no communication between Mr. Patel and the BJP MPs either.
It is noteworthy, neither did the CNN IBN editor nor the reporter ever hear or see Mr. Ahmed Patel or any of his representatives correspond with the BJP MPs at any given time. All they were working on was the word of the BJP MPs.
After waiting frantically at the hotel and failing to execute the alleged deal, BJP MPs came up with a new story and asked the CNN IBN reporter to wait. The reporter hungry for an exposé, obliged.
According to testimonies given to the police and the narration of the reporter, The BJP MPs then started calling every known Congress (and allies) representatives offering their services for cross voting. They even hired a known political middleman by the name of Sohail Hindustani to lure customers. This is where the claims of BJP MPs of being whistle blowers get blown to smithereens. Whistle blowers do not offer/market their services, they do not go hunting for customers. Corrupt bribe takers do!
The next morning the BJP MPS once again claimed they had found a customer, this time they claimed it was none other than the infamous, notorious Mr. Amar Singh (Samajwadi Party). Once again the CNN IBN reporter had nothing but their word to work on.
At the time of the alleged ‘money changing hands’ the reporter was left outside the venue. All the BJP MPs had, was a wired camera.
The video provided to the police shows a man doling out cash bundles. For all India knows, it could be an honest trader paying cash for some products he may have purchased.
Next scene of the scripted drama was in parliament, where the dignity of the house was lowered, BJP MPs flashed bundles of cash. The source of the cash, to this day is unknown. All people have is the ‘word’ of the same BJP MPs who have been unable to substantiate any of their claims thus far!
Outside Parliament on the same day, L.K Advani, Arun Jaitley and other BJP MPs made a huge show and dance for the cameras.
Points to be noted:
Sudheendra Kulkarni and other BJP MPs along with Sohail Hindustani called up innumerable MPs offering to cross vote in return for money. Clearly this is Solicitation of a bribe. Some may even call it entrapment. The latter is not applicable as the intentions of the BJP MPs was questionable.
Sudheendra Kulkarni and other BJP MPs despite asking for CNN IBN to conduct the sting, deliberately kept the reporter out of the venue of the ‘alleged’ money exchange point.
Sudheendra Kulkarni and other BJP MPs flashed bundles of cash, claiming they were offered the money for cross voting. The trail of money begins and ends with Sudheendra Kulkarni and the BJP MPs. For all India knows this must be BJP’s own black money which they flashed in parliament to smear the good name of Dr. Manmohan Singh. No one can put this beyond BJP. Wikileaks has proved BJP can stoop to any level for toppling the Govt.
From the above points, it is clear all the established facts point towards Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni and other BJP MPs indulging in solicitation of bribes and accepting them. There is no proof linking either Mr. Ahmed Patel or anyone else. All those are mere insinuations of the BJP MPs who have nothing but their ‘words’ to substantiate. By now India is clear in its mind, the word of BJP MPs tantamount to nothing as they have no credentials left.
Who benefitted from the Cash for Votes scam?
The four BJP MPs who flashed bundles of cash in Parliament voted against the Government. Despite which the ruling government won comfortably. Hence proving the Government was never in a minority or worried about losing the vote count. The only people perplexed about the fortunes of the vote count, from the very start, were the BJP.
After the Left withdrew support, the opportunistic BJP jumped the gun and forced a confidence vote. As usual BJP jumped first and thought later. Realising they did not have the numbers and the Government was in no threat of losing the vote count, BJP resorted to what it does best, theatrics and doctoring.
Had the BJP scripted ‘cash for votes’ not happened, BJP would have been left with no face to show. The alleged ‘cash for votes’ was meticulously used by the BJP to save itself the embarrassment and get itself out of the corner it had painted itself into.
The only one who benefitted from the cash for votes is the BJP. They managed to leave doubts in the mind of young impressionable naive voters about the honesty and integrity of Dr. Manmohan Singh Government and save itself the embarrassment of losing the confidence vote.
