Cash-for-votes: Why beneficiaries of scam not quizzed, asks BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday rose to the defence of former L K Advani aide Sudheendra Kulkarni in the cash-for-votes scam, saying whistleblowers cannot be charged and wondered why those who had benefitted from the scandal had not even been questioned.

"There cannot be a charge of entrapment against whistleblowers when there is a charge of bribe-giving against others," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley told reporters in a reference to former SP leader Amar Singh who is an accused in the case.

Singh has been charged with providing the money to be paid to the three BJP MPs in the cash-for-vote scam. Jaitley said such an exercise is undertaken often by the Central Bureau of Investigation and police to expose bribe-takers.

Kulkarni was arrested for his alleged involvement in the July 2008 cash-for-votes scam.

Pointing fingers at the Congress and Samajwadi Party, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman wondered why those who had benefitted from the scam had not even been questioned while the whistleblowers were sent to jail.

"Those who benefitted from the cash-for-votes scam, those who had shown currency chests to United States embassy officials had not even been questioned. We are concerned as those who retained power due to this scam have not even been called (by the investigating agencies and the court)," Sitharaman said. She charged this was a "lop-sided, one-sided" inquiry.

"Why has nobody from the Congress or Samajwadi Party, except for Amar Singh who was in SP earlier, been questioned? This inquiry as it is, is a farce," she said. Kulkarni, who recently returned from the US, maintained he played the role of whistleblower and was innocent.

After the verdict, Kulkarni said, "I maintain I am innocent. I have done nothing wrong. I cannot be an accused in the the case.... If my going to jail will help in the truth coming out, I will be very happy."