Ananth Kumar linked to Radia, says Congress

The Congress sought to turn tables on the Bharatiya Janata Party on the corruption issue demanding removal of its general secretary Ananth Kumar for his alleged links with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

The party also levelled a charge that Radia had "close relations with the Prime Minister's Office during the National Democratic Alliance rule through a close relative of the prime minister".

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi raised ten questions to the BJP projecting it as "a party steeped in corruption". "BJP's silence at yesterday's revelation about the lobbyist's role during BJP government and the antics of its senior general secretary (Ananth Kumar) is eloquent. It has once again proved that BJP is a corrupt party and it has no regard for national security," Singhvi said.

Kumar dismissed the charges levelled against him as "completely false" and said he will initiate legal action against those who made these allegations. "The imputations made against me are completely false and malicious. There is not an iota of truth in them. I shall be initiating legal action against the makers of these allegations" he said.

Radia's Vaishnavi Communication has also issued a denial saying accusations in this regard were being made to influence some legal proceedings. Accusing Kumar, who was Civil Aviation Minister in the then NDA government, of having had an "intimate business relationship" with Radia, the Congress spokesperson wondered as to how senior leader L K Advani went to inaugurate Radia's Trust which land was alloted in posh Vasant Kunj.

Kumar has dismissed the charges levelled against him as "completely false" and said he will initiate legal action against the makers of these allegations. "The imputations made against me are completely false and malicious. There is not an iota of truth in them. I shall be initiating legal action tomorrow itself against the makers

of these allegations" he said.

In the ten questions he posed, he also asked "was Advani an admirer of Radia's networking skills that he went for the inauguration of the Trust". Singhvi also questioned why the BJP never raised the issue of bank account in Zurich while raising the issue of black money in Swiss Banks. "Was it only the money of Radia and the then Civil Aviation Minister that was kept in the bank or money of some other senior BJP leaders were also parked there," he asked.

Pillorying the BJP, Singhvi asked whether it the same paper, which Yeddyurappa threatened to disclose, that led to his reinstatement as Karnataka Chief Minister.

Regarding reports of the leak of cabinet papers to lobbysts during the period, Singhvi asked did the same contain any budget details apart from the issues concerning national security. In an obvious reference to the cash-on-camera scandal involving former BJP President Bangaru Lakshaman and another scandal involving party leader Dileep Singh Judeo, Singhvi said the "Bangaru-Judeo party"has "anant gatha (endless saga) of corruption and citing issues including Tehelka expose and the Karnataka land scam.

"The BJP has remained involved in corruption and illegal activities. It maintains double standards", the spokesperson said. Replying to a question that a number of cabinet ministers were being referred to in the Radia tapes and were shown in very poor light, Singhvi said, "this is A talking to B about C". He said these conversations are only "spicy and salacious" and legally unimportant unless there is corroboration.

The issue related to the BJP leader is one of "specific allegation" being made against him, he contended. AICC general secretary B K Hariprasad speaking separately said that the link between Kumar and Radia should be thoroughly investigated. He alleged that the expose has showed that the BJP leader was the architect of this whole nexus.