By IANS,
New Delhi: Nachiketa Kapur, in the eye of a WikiLeaks storm, Thursday denied allegations made in leaked US diplomatic cables that he was involved in paying off MPs to save the Manmohan Singh government in a crucial trust vote in 2008.
“I do not know anything. I have not witnessed anything,” a grim Kapur told reporters here.
US diplomatic cables leaked on WikiLeaks and published by The Hindu newspaper purportedly say that payoffs had been made to MPs to ensure majority for the Congress-led government in the confidence vote over the India-US nuclear deal 2008.
Kapur, described in the cables as a political aide to Congress leader Satish Sharma, is quoted as saying that a fund of Rs.50 crore had been formed to pay the MPs to vote for the government in trust vote.
He also reportedly showed two chests containing cash meant for the bribes.
Kapur denied that he had worked with Sharma. “I am in the same party… but I have not worked with him.”
When it was pointed out that he had attended the wedding of Sharma’s son, Kapur said: “So did 500 other people.”
When asked if he remembered meeting a staff of the US embassy, he said: “I don’t recall.”