Sahara papers: Congress asks the PM to practise what he preaches

Just because the court finds evidence against a murder accused insufficient, it does not mean the murder has not been committed, says Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala about the dismissal by the Supreme Court of the petition for an inquiry into the alleged payoffs by Sahara and Birla groups.

Keeping up the pressure on the Prime Minister to come clean, Surjewala said that instead of hiding behind technicalities, the Prime Minister should answer the question whether he took money from the two business groups before the last General Election or not and whether it was accounted for. “It does not require a certificate from a court”, he quipped.

Surjewala pointed out that Congress never went to court seeking a probe. It was the NGO Common Cause and its lawyers Prashant Bhushan and his father Shanti Bhushan, who did. Bhushan, he said, was “a bitter critic of the Congress and his father was a founding member of the Janata Party and was also the Law Minister in the Janata government, which falsely prosecuted former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.”

The Congress, he said, has been asking the PM to come forward and explain why he is not submitting himself to a probe. But there has been absolute silence and no answer, he pointed out in a statement.

Surjewala wondered how the Income Tax Settlement Commission could be selective and accept a part of the seized documents from Sahara to determine that the Group had concealed an income of ₹1,910 crore while rejecting other seized papers which indicated payoffs to politicians.

• Will the Prime Minister practise what he preaches, asked the Congress spokesman referring to the PM’s avowed ‘ zero tolerance for corruption’ while demanding that the PM submit himself to a probe.
• Hundreds of FIRs have been lodged and investigation initiated by the Government against political opponents on far flimsier grounds. Should the PM not apply the same yardstick to himself, Surjewala asked

Read our full coverage of the Sahara-Birla Papers and the Common Cause case:

Rahul Gandhi attacks Prime Minister alleging personal corruption

Common Cause petition—Supreme Court keeps suspense alive

Common Cause hearing: Prashant Bhushan stuns the SC bench

Sahara Papers: Shivraj, Raman, Left, Congress leaders also named

Sahara Papers: Common Cause petition still pending before SC

Six undisputed facts around Sahara-Birla papers

BJP ties itself in knots on Sahara papers

BLOG/ Reality Bites: Why Sahara Papers require an inquiry

Indian Express reveals how the Government buried the Sahara Papers

Prashant Bhushan files more documents in SC on Sahara-Birla case

Congress: PM must face probe on alleged ‘Birla-Sahara’ payoffs

BLOG/ Reality Bites: The importance of Sachin Pawar to Sahara

SC dismisses plea for probe into alleged Sahara-Birla payoffs

Setback to campaign against corruption, says Prashant Bhushan

Sahara papers: Congress asks the PM to practise what he preaches