Tuesday, April 3, 2001,
Chandigarh, India






T E H E L K A   'E X P O S E'


DAY 1



Website exposes govt’s shady defence deals

BJP chief Bangaru Laxman quits,
Cabinet rejects George’s offer to resign

New Delhi, March 13
The BJP President, Mr Bangaru Laxman, tonight resigned from the post following the exposure of his alleged involvement in a defence deal by a website, even as Defence Minister George Fernandes offered to resign from the Cabinet. However, Mr Fernandes was persuaded by his Cabinet colleagues not to take any hasty decision.

PM, Fernandes should resign: Congress
New Delhi, March 13
Claiming that the Tehelka.com had produced incontrovertible evidence about the involvement of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, his Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Samata Party President Jaya Jaitley and many respectable members of Sangh Parivar in a defence deal, the Congress said today that the senior government functionaries had no moral right to continue in office.


DAY 2



Govt ready for probe: Vajpayee

General suspended, says he took money
New Delhi, March 14
Even as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said the government was prepared to face any inquiry or probe following revelations by a dotcom company of the involvement of politicians and senior government, besides Army officials, in influencing the procurement of defence equipment, Major-Gen P.S.K. Choudhary, Additional Director-General Weapons and Equipment, alongwith three Ministry of Defence officials were placed under suspension.

J. Krishnamurthi is BJP acting chief
New Delhi, March 14
 Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party struggled to come to grip with the political quake generated by a website, its office-bearers’ emergency meeting today decided to appoint its senior Vice-President K. Jana Krishnamurthi as the Acting President of the party.

System is corrupt, nothing fake about it!
Hari Jaisingh
Wheeling-dealing in defence purchases has been a known fact. The infamous Bofors deal in the late eighties was very much a product of a corrupt system thriving in this country irrespective of the party or parties in power. The Tehelka “expose” has shown that it is business as usual even under the dispensation of the National Democratic Alliance.

NDA unfazed by threat
New Delhi, March 14
Dared by the Trinamool Congress to axe Union Defence Minister George Fernandes or be prepared for a parting of ways, embattled Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee decided to fight the Opposition onslaught by closing ranks with the other partners of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Remove George or I go: Mamata
New Delhi, March 14
Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has threatened that her party will quit the NDA if Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did not accept the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes following the expose about shady defence deals by a news portal.

Former Prime Ministers to hold protest rally today
New Delhi, March 14
Former Prime Ministers V.P. Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, along with activists of the Left Parties, will participate in a protest demonstration here tomorrow to demand the resignation of the Vajpayee government in the wake of the defence deal scam.

‘Tehelka’ in both Houses of Parliament
New Delhi, March 14
Dogged by revelations of shady defence deals, Parliament was adjourned for the day today following vociferous demands by the entire Opposition seeking the resignation of the Vajpayee government.

Two Haryana officers figure in transcripts
Chandigarh, March 14
Any major scandal breaking in Delhi somehow finds a connection with Haryana, which surrounds the Capital from three sides. Be it match-fixing in cricket or the recent “tehelka”.

Why did Badal skip NDA meeting?
Chandigarh, March 14
The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who skipped an emergency meeting of the National Democratic Alliance held this afternoon at the residence of the Prime Minister, said that no one exposed by tehelka. com., should be shielded. He said that an inquiry should be ordered in all cases in which solid evidence was available.

 

Bangaru, Jaya Jaitley can be prosecuted: experts
New Delhi, March 14
The ‘chori chori, chupke chupke’ recording have created a ‘tehelka’ in political circles. And the government is busy battling out the political repercussions of the exposure. Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, Samata Party chief Jaya Jaitley and others face a daunting task as they might have to fight the battle in the courtroom too.

Ex-BJP president preferred dollars
New Delhi, March 14
The surreptitious revelations by Internet news portal tehelka.com has brought into light the role of influential ruling party functionaries in the day-to-day functioning of the government.

Who Gupta, says RSS; Samata disowns Jain
New Delhi March 14
Within 24 hours of it being dragged into the defence deal scandal by a news portal, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh today tried to dissociate from the controversy claiming that R.K. Gupta, described by tehelka as a national trustee of the RSS, was in no way connected with the sangh.

NDA must go: Congress
New Delhi, March 14
Demanding resignation of the government on moral grounds on the alleged defence scam, the Congress today said the future of the nation was not safe in the hands of a government which was ridden with corruption.

Cong men attack BJP office
New Delhi, March 14
Two BJP workers and a correspondent of the All India Radio were injured when several Congress activists allegedly attacked the BJP office on the Ashoka Road, pelting them with stones, setting ablaze hoardings and demanding dismissal of the NDA government in the wake of tehelka.com.

Nobody will quit: NDA
New Delhi, March 14
Putting up a brave face and a united front, the National Democratic Alliance today decided to take the Opposition headlong, rejecting its demand of the regination of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Pandemonium in state assemblies
Patna, March 14
The pre-lunch session of the Bihar Assembly was adjourned amid din created by the ruling RJD and Left parties demanding resignation of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes over alleged corruption charges in defence deals exposed by tehelka.com.


DAY 3



Resignations of George, Mamata, Panja accepted

Trinamool withdraws support;
Jaya Jaitley steps down as Samata chief

New Delhi, March 15
The BJP-Led National Democratic Alliance government received a further jolt today when the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, resigned tonight within hours of the Trinamool Congress walking out of the ruling alliance following the sensational expose made by tehelka.com alleging malpractices in the defence deals in a video tape brought out by it.

I didn’t take any gift, says Addl Secy
New Delhi, March 15
Additional Secretary L.M. Mehta, the seniormost official in the Defence Ministry to figure in the Tehelka tapes, today claimed that he had not received any gift nor issued any order for trial evaluation of hand-held thermals.

Cong ready for pact with Mamata
New Delhi, March 15
The Congress today said it was ready to enter into an alliance with the Trinamool Congress following the latter’s withdrawal from the National Democratic Alliance.

‘Tehelka’ outside Parliament
New Delhi, March 15
An unrelenting Opposition today continued with its protests over the revelations in the video clippings brought out by a dotcom company and stalled the proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament, forcing adjournment for the day without transacting any business.

Basu heads People’s Front
New Delhi, March 15
The erstwhile United Front was resurrected as the People’s Front today with the political climate hotting up following the withdrawal of support by the Trinamool Congress to the Vajpayee government, which is shrouded in the ‘arms deal’ video tape infamy.

Army, ministry begin probe
New Delhi, March 15
The Army and the Defence Ministry today began investigations, recording the statements of officers who figured in the Tehelka tapes, and there was every indication that the government wanted the inquiry to be completed within a week.


DAY 4



PM orders judicial probe into expose

New Delhi, March 16
The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today ordered an inquiry by a sitting or retired Judge of the Supreme Court into allegations of corruption at high places in defence deals. Addressing the nation on Doordarshan, three days after the website, tehelka.com, came out with the expose, the Prime Minister said the inquiry would be completed within four months to get to the bottom of the truth.

NDA leaders close ranks
Fernandes remains convener; Brajesh Mishra to stay
New Delhi, March 16
Shaken leaders of the National Democratic Alliance today closed ranks to express solidarity with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, retained Mr George Fernandes as its convener and recommended a probe into the Tehelka disclosure by a sitting Supreme Court Judge.

Slogans, abuses in Parliament
New Delhi, March 16
Parliament proceedings continued to remain disrupted for the third day today despite the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes and other leaders with a determined Opposition demanding the resignation of the government.

Army officers yet to report to HQ
New Delhi, March 16
Even as the Court of Inquiry set up by the Army was all set to begin its investigations into the alleged corruption in defence deals and the involvement of its senior officers, the four officers summoned by the Army Headquarters were still to report in Delhi.

Home Ministry to issue notice to Tehelka scribe
New Delhi, March 16
The Home Ministry is issuing a legal notice to a reporter of tehelka.com asking him either to retract or face consequence for his statement putting the Union Home Ministry in a scandal pertaining to border fencing.


DAY 5



Tehelka calls it witchhunt; Centre denies

New Delhi, March 17
Days after throwing the entire government into a tizzy, Internet news portal, tehelka.com today charged the government with initiating a “scandalous campaign” against the organisation and ordering a probe against the company even as the Centre denied having ordered any investigation.

Raise standards of probity, Vajpayee tells Army
New Delhi, March 17
A day after addressing the nation on disclosures made in the tehelka tapes and the government’s plan of action, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today urged the armed forces to raise the standards of probity, transparency and accountability.

NDA has lost right to rule : CPI
Hyderabad, March 17
The CPI today demanded immediate resignation of the NDA Government at the Centre in the wake of the Tehelka.com expose.

Govt ready to face trust vote: Advani
New Delhi, March 17
Home Minister L.K. Advani today said the government was ready for a confidence vote and a full-fledged debate in Parliament on the corruption charges in defence deals if the Opposition so desired.


DAY 6



RSS blames PMO for crisis

New Delhi, March 18
RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan today held “incompetent persons” in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for the crisis triggered off by the Tehelka expose. Talking to newspersons on the concluding day of the three-day session of the RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, Mr Sudarshan said the Sangh had told the government time and again not to have incompetent persons in the PMO.

Jaswant gets Defence too
New Delhi, March 18
The External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, was today given additional charge of the Ministry of Defence which fell vacant following the resignation of Mr George Fernandes in the aftermath of the expose by tehelka.com.

George may sue; go ahead says tehelka
New Delhi, March 18
Labelling Tehelka tapes as “manipulated and concocted” Former Defence Minister George Fernandes today said he was considering taking web portal tehelka.com to court on charges of defamation and libel.

Army begins probe today
New Delhi, March 18
The Army will tomorrow begin its formal investigations into the allegations made by the tehelka.com in its video tapes regarding corruption in defence deals and involvement of senior officers, with possibility of other senior officers other than those involved, being asked to depose before the inquiry committee.

Sonia afraid of probe: BJP
New Delhi, March 18
Bharatiya Janata Party acting President K. Jana Krishnamurthi today accused the Congress President of opposing a judicial inquiry into the tehelka.com expose because “she is afraid that the truth will come out”.


DAY 7



Cong announces nationwide stir
No plan to move trust motion
New Delhi, March 19
The Congress today announced a countrywide multi-phase action plan to pressurise the Vajpayee government to resign over the expose of alleged corruption in defence deals.

PM’s men plead not guilty
New Delhi, March 19
In an unprecedented move, the top officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Brajesh Mishra and Mr N.K. Singh, today pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them in the secret tapes of tehelka.com.

Ex-SC judge to hold probe
New Delhi, March 19
Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand today conveyed to the government that he was not in a position to spare the services of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court for the probe into Tehelka expose but would choose a retired judge for the purpose.

Samata men to resume work
Nitish, others withdraw resignations
New Delhi, March 19
The partners of the National Democratic Alliance government with the BJP in the vanguard have taken to the offensive in blunting the countrywide action plan of the Congress to dislodge the corrupt and shameful union government which proved to be a damp squib.

Standoff in LS, RS continues
New Delhi, March 19
An unrelenting Opposition, demanding the resignation of the Vajpayee government over the Tehelka expose, today stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament, causing their adjournment for the day.

Govt rushes through business in House
New Delhi, March 19
The government today sought to get through with some business in the Lok Sabha despite the Opposition’s stepped up campaign for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s resignation in the wake of the defense corruption scandal that broke last week.

BJP executive to meet on March 24
New Delhi, March 19
With fast moving political developments in the wake of the Tehelka expose, BJP National Executive meeting is to be held here on March 24 and 25 instead of scheduled March 30 and 31 in Kolkota.

Army begins probe
New Delhi, March 19
The Army today began investigations into the disclosures made by the video tapes brought out by the tehelka dotcom alleging the involvement of senior Army officers in the defence deals with the court of inquiry beginning its work.

RSS wants govt to continue
New Delhi, March 19
In a damage-control exercise a day after its harsh remarks on the PMO, the RSS said today that it wanted the Vajpayee government to continue even as it conceded that the BJP’s image had suffered in the wake of the tehelka.com graft expose.


 
DAY 8



PM takes on Congress
Our hands are clean, tells party MPs
New Delhi, March 20
In a counter offensive, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today lashed out at the Congress for blocking parliamentary proceedings for five days, saying “those raising the bogey of corruption to come to power will not be allowed to succeed”.

Thackeray seeks Mishra’s ouster
Mumbai, March 20
Joining the Opposition attack on the Prime Minister’s Office in the wake of the Tehelka expose, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today demanded the immediate removal of Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra and Officer on Special Duty N.K. Singh from the PMO till the judicial inquiry into the scandal is completed.

Tejpal deposes before Army
New Delhi, March 20
Tehelka.com Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal today deposed before the Army’s court of inquiry and handed over the four and half-hour film that his news portal had secretly taped showing senior Army officers and politicians taking money from people posing as arms dealers.

BSP for action against Tehelka accused
New Delhi, March 20
The BSP today demanded immediate action against those who were directly involved in taking money in the fictitious arms deals shown in the Tehelka expose.

Fernandes calls on President
New Delhi, March 20
NDA convener and former Defence Minister George Fernandes today met President K.R. Narayanan and is understood to have presented his views on the recent defence deal disclosures that saw his exit from the Vajpayee Government.


DAY 9



PM non-committal on Mishra’s ouster
New Delhi, March 21
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is keeping the option of the resignation of his Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra open as a way out for resolving the present deadlock in Parliament.

George didn’t push Barak deal: Navy chief
New Delhi, March 21

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes had not pushed through the deal for Barak missiles to be deployed in warships as the Navy had made up its mind to induct the anti sea-skimming missiles after extensive trials, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar said today.

Govt dares Sonia for debate
Congress rejects offer
New Delhi, March 21
A day after Sonia Gandhi sought an exclusive slot on Doordarshan for the Congress to speak on Tehelka expose, the government challenged her to a one-to-one debate saying Prasar Bharati had agreed to allocate a suitable time slot for it.

Nitish: no money paid to Samata
New Delhi, March 21
The Samata Party today launched its counter-offensive on the allegations made against the party president, Ms Jaya Jaitley, in the Tehelka expose, by stating that “no money was paid” nor “any defence deal was discussed.”

Tehelka expose paralyses Houses
New Delhi, March 21
Parliament today approved the crucial vote-on-account to meet the government expenditure beyond March 31 with the Rajya Sabha returning the relevant money bills even as the Opposition continued to stall proceedings in both Houses for the seventh day over the corruption expose demanding the Vajpayee Government’s resignation.

NCP wants PM to remove Mishra
New Delhi, March 21
The National Congress Party (NCP) today demanded the removal of Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

It is a conspiracy: BJP 
New Delhi, March 21
The BJP today said that there was a conspiracy to weaken the country behind the three latest incidents — alleged burning of Qoran followed by widespread violence, tehelka.com expose and fluctuations in share markets — to weaken the economy.


DAY 10



Tehelka shows further footage
New Delhi, March 22
tehelka.com today said that it had mistakenly assumed that the money handed over at the residence of former Defence Minister George Fernandes was to Mr Sreenivasa Prasad but showed additional footage that contained a shot of an unidentified man receiving Rs 2 lakh from its reporters posing as arms dealers inside the residence.

Tehelka expose shows intelligence failure
New Delhi, March 22
While the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government is trying hard to come out of the sticky situation it has been put in by the disclosures made in the video tapes brought out by tehelka.com, questions are being raised about the role of the intelligence agencies.

Home Ministry orders probe
New Delhi, March 22
The Ministry of Home Affairs today ordered a probe against one of its officers, Mr Thomas Mathew, who has been alleged to be the mastermind behind the Tehelka expose in an article published in an English daily.

PIL for checking Tehelka from using site 
against Army

New Delhi, March 22
A public interest litigation (PIL), filed in the Delhi High Court today, sought to restrain tehelka.com from using its news portal for activities which it alleged amounted to “demoralising” the armed forces.

PM should quit, says V.P. Singh
New Delhi, March 22
A former Prime Minister, Mr V.P. Singh, today charged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, with failing to check corruption and said his government should have resigned owning “constructive responsibility”.

VHP backs PM, for action against guilty
New Delhi, March 22
Terming the Tehelka expose as an international conspiracy to destabilise the country, the VHP, today asked Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to punish everyone, including officials in the PMO, if they were found guilty in the investigations into the Tehelka expose.


DAY 11



NDA, Cong to go to people
Tehelka disclosures
New Delhi, March 23
With the stalemate in Parliament over the Tehelka tapes expose unresolved, the ruling NDA and Congress are set to take their case to people through rallies and demonstrations during the three-week recess in Parliament.

PM: Oppn should observe limits
New Delhi, March 23
The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is under attack from the Opposition after the tehelka expose, tonight asked the opposition parties to stay “within the limits of decency” even as he expressed confidence that his government would sail through the present stormy political phase.

MPs: review arms purchase modes
New Delhi, March 23
On the heels of the Tehelka expose, a parliamentary committee has come out with its report which says that secrecy in the name of defence should not be used as a weapon to cover up corruption and inefficiency in defence procurement procedures.

Tehelka tapes doctored: Advani
New Delhi, March 23
Union Home Minister L.K. Advani today asserted that the NDA government would last till it enjoyed majority.

Laxman to keep off executive meeting
New Delhi, March 23
Having embarrassed the BJP by handling wads of currency notes on the Tehelka tapes, former party president Bangaru Laxman has decided to keep away from the two-day national executive of the party beginning here tomorrow.

Oppn viewpoint ignored: CPM
New Delhi, March 23
The CPM today charged the government with ignoring the Opposition viewpoint on the Tehelka expose and said the government media was being used to downplay the charges.


DAY 12



SC ex-judge to probe expose
New Delhi, March 24
Ten days after the Tehelka expose triggered a political storm, the government today appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice K. Venkataswami, a retired Supreme Court judge, to probe the allegations about bribery in defence deals involving politicians and bureaucrats made in the news portal’s video tapes.

BJP’s solidarity show today
New Delhi, March 24
In the first public show of strength in the wake of the Tehelka expose, the Prime Minister and senior NDA leaders, including former Defence Minister George Fernandes, will address a rally being organised by the ruling combine here tomorrow.

BJP sees Cong conspiracy
New Delhi, March 24
Though Assembly elections in five states are still some distance away, the political battle between the Congress and the BJP-led NDA government has become fierce with both levelling charges of conspiracy against each other and planning to go on the offensive in their countrywide rallies starting tomorrow.

Congress rules out no-trust vote
Dehra Dun, March 24
There is no move by the Congress to bring a vote of no confidence against the Central Government in the near future after the expose of a shady arms deal by tehelka.com. Addressing mediapersons here this evening, Mr Santosh Bagrodia, member of the Upper House and a senior Congress leader, said the government should resign owning collective responsibility.


DAY 13



Make party funding transparent: PM
Says media not to be blamed for expose

New Delhi, March 25

The National Executive meeting of the BJP today concluded its two- day session, finalising an elaborate strategy for regaining people’s confidence with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stressing the need for introspection.

Govt not to resign, says Vajpayee
New Delhi, March 25
Making a frontal attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said that his government would not bow to the Opposition’s demand for its resignation.

Bid to lower forces’ morale: Fernandes
New Delhi, March 25
Former Defence Minister George Fernandes today alleged that an attempt was being made to lower the morale of the armed forces and the recent developments were part of the larger design that was going on for some years.

Congress observes ‘dhikkar divas’
Demands govt’s dismissal
New Delhi, March 25
The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers today held a unique rally of tempos and trucks here to press for the dismissal of the Vajpayee government and arrest of those accused of taking bribe in the Tehelka expose.

Army court summons Gen Murgai
New Delhi, March 25
The Army court of inquiry has summoned retired Major-Gen S.P. Murgai, a key figure in the expose by tehelka.com on defence deals, to appear before it next week, Army sources said. Maj-General Murgai, who retired recently as Additional Director-General, Quality Assurance, Army Headquarters, has reportedly been missing since the expose.

CM ‘misleading’ masses on Tehelka
Rohtak, March 25
The HPCC chief, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, has alleged that the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, is misleading the masses to shield the Union Government from the tehelka.com expose.

Expose casts shadow on J&K
New Delhi
Whatever else the Tehelka expose may or may not have achieved, one thing appears to be clear: policy-makers in New Delhi at most levels have put the crisis in Kashmir on the back burner.

BJP men burn Sonia’s effigy
Jammu, March 25
The Tehelka expose seems to have brought the state units of the BJP and the Congress out of their “slumber.” In reply to a protest the Congress staged here three days ago, in which effigies of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman, were set ablaze, BJP workers held protest rally here today shouting “chor machai shor”.


DAY 14



BJP men still demoralised?

New Delhi, March 26
For all its efforts in fighting the fallout of Tehelka tapes, BJP workers do not seem to have fully come out of the setback and regain their enthusiasm.

Cong: Sonia never called PM ‘gaddar’
New Delhi, March 26
The Congress today accused the NDA leaders of using harsh and provocative words against the party at its rally yesterday and said that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s using words like “war” was unfortunate for democracy. 

HC notice to Mishra on J.K. Jain’s plea
New Delhi, March 26

The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Centre, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra and Secretary Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) on a petition by Jain TV proprietor J.K. Jain, seeking inquiry into “a confidential report” describing him as an agent of Pakistan’s Intelligence Service ISI.

Edit: BJP’s tehelka session
A
KEY success at the two-day national executive meeting of the BJP was its unqualified support to the economic policies of the alliance government.


DAY 15



PM’s hold on BJP weakens
New Delhi, March 27
The two day meeting of the National Executive of the BJP which concluded its deliberations here on Sunday marks the beginning of the end of the “Vajpayee era” and return to the days of “collective leadership”.

Cong smells a rat
New Delhi, March 27
The Congress today said the terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry probing the Tehelka episode, had been “so carefully framed as to give a quiet burial to the stinking Tehelka scandal.”

Edit page:
Furore over tehelka tapes
(On Target)
Questions of transparency and fair play
(Opinion)


DAY 16



PPCC to screen Tehelka tapes in districts
New Delhi, March 28
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee plans to take the Tehelka expose to the people by screening the four-hour-long arms deal footage at every block and district of the state in the coming days.

Chokila’s circular on Tehelka routine: govt
New Delhi, March 28
In a damage-control exercise, the government today described Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer’s recent letter on the Tehelka expose to Indian diplomatic missions abroad as “routine advisory”.

Mathew’s reply not received: Home
New Delhi, March 28
The Ministry of Home Affairs today maintained that it had not received any reply so far from Mr Thomas Mathew, who was issued a show-cause notice and later suspended in connection with his alleged involvement in the Tehelka expose.

MP House adjourned ahead of schedule
Bhopal, March 28
The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was abruptly adjourned today following refusal by BJP members to cooperate. The session was scheduled to last till April 11.


DAY 17



BJP to evolve code of ethics
Party leaves door open for Trinamool
New Delhi, March 29
Shaken deeply by the Tehelka revelations, the BJP under the leadership of its new President, Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi, today sought to regain at least some of its lost high moral ground by deciding to evolve a code of ethics for its elected representatives and for those holding any public office.

More ‘tehelkas’ to tumble out of Zee’s kitty
New Delhi, March 29
If the alleged arms deal expose by tehelka.com has shaken the country out of a collective slumber, many such “tehelka” spy camera tapes exposing corruption at different levels will soon be on the television screens bringing out the true picture of persons on the other side of the table.

BJP Secretary defends expose
New Delhi, March 29
Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has stoutly defended the Tehelka tapes saying they had “exposed in the eyes of public corruption in the socio-political system” but regretted that the portal should have “checked up facts” before going public.


DAY 18



Army defends defence deals
New Delhi, March 30
Stung by the Tehelka expose, the Army today came out in defence of its procurement procedure and said that needless controversies about it would only affect the country’s defence preparedness, as had happened after the Bofors scam.


DAY 19



CVC report on defence deals
New Delhi, March 31
The final report on the defence deals since April 1989 was submitted today by the Central Vigilance Commissioner, Mr N. Vittal, to the Defence Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh.

Entrapment journalism and the menace of media hype
N
OW that the anti-BJP media hype has allowed if not died down and talk of over-throwing the government has receded, the time has come to inquire what the Tehelka.com is all about and what it sought to achieve.

Small corruption can be ugly and costly too
S
MALL is beautiful, so have we been told over the ages. But small can be ugly too. The whole nation is talking about Tehelka. They are discussing the magnitude of the mess that prevails in the country.

No Tehelka for this government
S
MARTING under criticism for allowing the official media to be used by former Defence Minister George Fernandes to defend himself and announce his resignation, caution has become the new buzzword in the government.


DAY 20



Tehelka vindicates CVC report
New Delhi, April 1

Chief Vigilance Commissioner Nagaraj Vittal today said his probe report on major defence deals and allegations by politicians and defence personnel submitted to the Centre yesterday was vindicated by the Tehelka expose.

Laxman’s act indefensible: Advani
New Delhi, April 1
Home Minister L.K. Advani has termed as “indefensible indiscretion” the acceptance of Rs 1 lakh by Mr Bangaru Laxman as BJP President from fictitious arms dealers, but said he would not seek his resignation as a Rajya Sabha MP since it did not reflect “any corruption”.

Govt ‘tapping’ phones of Oppn leaders
Lucknow, April 1
Samajwadi Party (SP) President Mulayam Singh Yadav today alleged that the NDA government was tapping the telephones of Opposition leaders to implicate them in order to counter the Tehelka expose and the fallout of the new Exim Policy.

Congress not for toppling game: Reddy
New Delhi, April 1
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government may collapse under the weight of its own internal contradictions, in the wake of the tehelka.com expose, according to the Congress’ chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy.


DAY 21



Tehelka probe report this week
New Delhi, April 2
The Court of Inquiry set up by the Army to inquire into the allegations of involvement of its senior officers in defence deals, which was brought out in the video tapes released last month by the tehelka.com, is expected to give its report this week.

Corruption as ‘political fodder’!
Why value judgements by politicians?
M. G. Devasahayam
I
N the wake of the tehelka.com expose the Congress has launched a crusade, nay an “all-out war”, against corruption and has condescended to lead a coalition to unseat the much-maligned BJP-led government at the Centre. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but for whom the BJP would never have captured power in the first place, put much rhetoric in her Bangalore speech.
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