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BJP says Jogi tried to buy MLAs
Raipur, Dec 06: Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley last night has accused outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi of trying to ``buy`` Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs ahead of today`s swearing-in ceremony and made public audiotapes he said were part of a ``watertight`` case against the Congress leader.
Raipur, Dec 06: Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley last night has accused outgoing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi of trying to ''buy'' Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs ahead of today's swearing-in ceremony and made public audiotapes he said were part of a ''watertight'' case against the Congress leader.
Jogi immediately went on air and rejected the allegations, saying that the voice in the tapes Jaitley released was certainly not his.
But the Congress in New Delhi announced the Chhattisgarh leader was being placed under suspension pending inquiry into the tape in which he was alleged to have used party president Sonia Gandhi's name.
Congress spokesman Anand Sharma demanded to know from Jaitley the action taken against former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judev who was allegedly videotaped receiving cash in a sting operation. He said the Congress had taken a serious view of the Jogi matter.
Earlier at a news conference here, Jaitely said Jogi tried to ''bribe'' MLAs in order to engineer a split in the newly-elected BJP Legislature Party.
He also released to the media a ''handwritten letter'' purportedly by Jogi to the state governor, allegedly saying the 37-member Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would extend support from outside to a government to be headed by senior BJP leader and MP Baliram Kashyap.
In the letter, Jaitely said, BJP leaders, to whom the caretaker Chief Minister had ''spoken about finalising the deal'', had taped the entire conversation.
He also released a transcript of the conversation purportedly between Jogi and BJP leader Virendra Pandey and P R Khunte, who had quit the BJP during the election campaign and joined the Congress.
Jaitley said he, along with former minister Brijmohan Agrawal, had called on the governor at about 2130 hours and submitted Jogi's alleged letter and the original tape in which the ''conversation was recorded''.
''After the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government, headed by Dr Raman Singh, the state government will make a recommendation for an investigation by the CBI into the whole matter,'' he added.
Bureau Report
But the Congress in New Delhi announced the Chhattisgarh leader was being placed under suspension pending inquiry into the tape in which he was alleged to have used party president Sonia Gandhi's name.
Congress spokesman Anand Sharma demanded to know from Jaitley the action taken against former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judev who was allegedly videotaped receiving cash in a sting operation. He said the Congress had taken a serious view of the Jogi matter.
Earlier at a news conference here, Jaitely said Jogi tried to ''bribe'' MLAs in order to engineer a split in the newly-elected BJP Legislature Party.
He also released to the media a ''handwritten letter'' purportedly by Jogi to the state governor, allegedly saying the 37-member Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would extend support from outside to a government to be headed by senior BJP leader and MP Baliram Kashyap.
In the letter, Jaitely said, BJP leaders, to whom the caretaker Chief Minister had ''spoken about finalising the deal'', had taped the entire conversation.
He also released a transcript of the conversation purportedly between Jogi and BJP leader Virendra Pandey and P R Khunte, who had quit the BJP during the election campaign and joined the Congress.
Jaitley said he, along with former minister Brijmohan Agrawal, had called on the governor at about 2130 hours and submitted Jogi's alleged letter and the original tape in which the ''conversation was recorded''.
''After the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government, headed by Dr Raman Singh, the state government will make a recommendation for an investigation by the CBI into the whole matter,'' he added.
Bureau Report