New Delhi: After IAF approached the Delhi
High Court to recover dues from him for use of its aircraft
allegedly for non-official purposes, former Prime Minister H D
Deve Gowda today said he will abide by the court order.
"The matter is sub-judice before the Delhi High Court and
I would abide by the judgement," Gowda told reporters here.
The former Prime Minister, however, said that the amount
of a little over Rs 54 lakh was due from the then Janata Dal
as per government records and the amount has to be paid by the
political party and not a person in his individual capacity.
"Government has wrongly presumed that Janata Dal (S) is
successor in interest of undivided Janata Dal and has shared
the assets and liabilities of undivided Janata Dal. JD(U)
headed by Sharad Yadav was successor to all the assets and
liabilities of the undivided Janata Dal," he said.
Gowda added that the then Janata Dal got divided into
five parties -- RJD, JD(U), JD(S), Biju Janata Dal and the
LJP. He said that he would contest the issue in the High Court
but would abide by the court verdict, whatever it is.
"In my whole life, I have not even kept a single rupee
due to anybody...," Gowda said.
JD(S) leaders said the IAF aircraft was used for assembly
elections in Uttar Pradesh in 1996 for Janata Dal and the bill
was sent to the JD office at 7 Jantar Mantar Road.
"It came to our notice in only January 2000 even though
the JD(S) was formed on August 7, 1999. Earlier there was no
JD(S) when the aircraft was used," a close aide said.
When Gowda used the aircraft, Lalu Prasad was the
President of Janata Dal and Sharad Yadav, the Working
President.
PTI
