By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said the tapes of a sting operation by the TV channel CNN-IBN proved bribes were offered to buy votes and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had given its responsibility to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.
“After seeing the telecast, it becomes very clear that each frame of the tape supports what our three MPs have said in their written complaint,” said BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad.
“The government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh adopted every corrupt measure to win the trust vote in parliament and the responsibility of procuring MPs was given to Amar Singh,” Prasad told reporters here.
He said Sanjiv Saxena, who was purportedly shown in the sting delivering advance payment of Rs.10 million to the three BJP MPs for abstaining during the trust vote, should be produced before people and media.
Saxena is stated to be a close aide of Amar Singh, who, however, has denied having any relations with him.
The BJP also sought action against Amar Singh and others for “cash-for-vote scam” and asked the UPA government to apologise for it.
“We hope that the (Lok Sabha) committee probing the scam will expedite its decision,” Prasad added.
On Monday evening, the CNN-IBN news channel telecast the tapes relating to the alleged bribing of the three BJP MPs ahead of the July 22 trust vote.
But the contents left several questions unanswered and did not conclusively establish a case of an attempt to bribe the MPs to make them abstain during the trust vote, viewers said.
The tapes showed Samajwadi Party MP Reoti Raman Singh meeting the three MPs – Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora – and offering them a “deal” in return for their abstention during the trust vote, which the government won comfortably.
The contentious tapes, based on footage shot through secret cameras, show Reoti Raman Singh, coming to the 4, Ferozeshah Road residence of BJP MP Ashok Argal on the midnight of July 21 and sweet-talking the three into a cash-for-vote deal.