Communist Party of India(Marxist) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet on Thursday challenged National Democratic Alliance convenor George Fernandes to 'publicly accept' that the NDA government had committed a 'wrong' by keeping chargesheeted ministers in its Council of Ministers before inviting the left to jointly fight corruption and criminalisation of politics.
In his reply to Fernandes' letter asking the CPI(M) to join the fight against 'tainted' ministers in the United Progressive Alliance government, Surjeet said, "I am happy that there is a belated realisation on your part that the council of ministers must be kept free from corrupt and criminal elements."
"I wish, however, that you as the Convenor of the NDA had been conscious of this need when the NDA was in government," he said in the letter released by party MP Nilotpal Basu.
Referring to three Ministers "who were charge-sheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case and in the Tehelka tapes affair, Surjeet said, "Neither were the three ministers, including the then home minister removed nor even a FIR lodged against those seen taking money in the Tehelka tapes."
"I your current realisation to fight corrupt and criminal elements is to have any credibility, I hope you will publicly accept that the stance of the NDA government in the above matters was wrong," he said. He added that such a step would help in mobilising all sections to take a firm stand against corruption and criminalisation in politics.