Kejriwal 'suspends' agitation in Delhi Congress stands firm on Khurshid

While the BJP has seized the opportunity to trash the ruling UPA over another scam, NDA ally JD(U) has taken a different stand

Anti-corruption activist and politician Arvind Kejriwal on Monday suspended his protests seeking the resignation of Law Minister Salman Khurshid and postponed his next expose of a prominent person by a day. He said that his next target — Nitin Gadkari, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party — would be exposed on Wednesday.

Kejriwal, however, promised to take the protests to Khurshid’s Parliamentary constituency of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh on November 1 and later to all 17 districts where equipment for the differently-abled were supposed to have been given by Khurshid’s NGO, Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, in 2009-10.

The move is seen as a tactical retreat by Kejriwal and his newly formed yet unnamed party, even as all parties closed ranks against Kejriwal and his ‘name and shame’ brand of politics.

Congress leaders backing Khurshid were joined on Monday by critics in the Janata Dal (U) Sharad Yadav and even the Left, who criticised Kejriwal for doubting the investigations being conducted by the Uttar Pradesh government into Khurshid's NGO.

CPM’s senior leader Nilotpal Basu told Business Standard: “This is not even a case like A Raja’s where there was credible evidence against him. That kind of situation has not arisen.” Basu emphasised: “There were far more serious issues before the country like food security, increasing attacks on women, price rise which were not being discussed; how can you carry out a campaign against someone without a probe being done first?”

The government was clear that it was backing Khurshid. The Group of Ministers (GoM) on media comprising senior Cabinet ministers met this morning. After the meeting, I &B minister Ambika Soni stated authoritatively: “There is no question of the government distancing itself from Law Minister Salman Khurshid.” Health minister and senior Congressman Ghulam Nabi Azad seconded her.

Meanwhile, multiple defamation suits are being planned to be filed against the India Today Group by Law Minister Salman Khurshid and his friends in the country and abroad over allegations of financial bungling by an NGO run by his family.

While speaking to Business Standard, senior Congress leader and two-time chief minister Digvijay Singh trashed Kejriwal’s allegations and instead charged the activist with “creating a political space for himself.” “Mr. Kejriwal, if he has any evidence, should go to Lucknow and help the Investigating Officer in the ongoing probe.”

Dismissing Kejriwal’s charge that an impartial probe was not possible as long as Khurshid continued in office, Singh said: “A trial by media is also not tenable. Let the probe by the UP government be completed before we come to any conclusion.”

Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma put the party in a pickle when he said that for a man like Salman Khurshid, Rs 71 lakh is a “very small amount” for a central minister. If it had been Rs 71 crore, I would have been worried,” Verma said.

Another senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be named, said: “At most, what can happen is that the NGO can be blacklisted for its purported wrongdoings. Where is the question of Khurshid resigning? He did not personally authenticate the list of beneficiaries or see if aids and appliances were given. There are more than 230 NGOs in the country; will the functioning of each of these NGOs be probed?” he asked.

Defamation case against India Today
Multiple defamation suits are being planned to be filed against the India Today Group by Law Minister Salman Khurshid and his friends in the country and abroad over allegations of financial bungling by an NGO run by his family. On the heels of a suit filed by Khurshid’s wife Louise in the Delhi High Court on October 12, the law minister is planning to file a defamation case against the media house in Bombay High Court in the next few days, sources said.

They, however, did not divulge the amount of damages to be sought in the civil defamation lawsuit but it is speculated that the sum could be huge.

On October 12, Khurshid’s wife Louise filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against the media group for airing a programme alleging financial irregularities in the NGO run by the couple.

Sources said that damages of Rs 100 crore has been claimed in the lawsuit filed by Louise against the TV Today group for broadcasting the “defamatory” programme on Headlines Today and Aaj Tak recently.

A sting operation by the television channel has alleged that irregularities were committed in the Trust during 2009-2010 in Uttar Pradesh in the funds earmarked for differently-abled people. Khurshid, while rubbishing the charges against him, told reporters yesterday that besides the defamation suit filed in the Delhi High Court, more cases are to follow. "Some people associated with the Trust want a case to be filed in London courts as the channel is also shown there. I cannot stop them from doing so," he said. Khurshid came out with certain papers and photographs yesterday in support of his claim that the charges were wrong.