M A I N   N E W S

BJP chief offers to hold talks with Sonia

New Delhi, April 27
The BJP President, Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthy, today offered to hold talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament in its next session, even as he blamed the main Opposition party for stalling the Budget session of Parliament over the Tehelka issue.

“If the Congress feels that the Presidents of the two parties should meet to discuss on how to run Parliament without any interruption, then I am prepared to meet her at a mutually convenient time and place after May 15 when the Assembly elections are over”, Mr Krishnamurthy told reporters here at the end of the Budget session of Parliament.

Appealing to the Congress to play a “positive and constructive role” in Parliament without stalling its proceedings at least in the next session, he said: “The Congress owes a duty to the nation to place its views before the people on vital questions. They have chosen to play with Parliament, but they cannot play for long with the people.”

The BJP chief asked the Congress to “spell out the reasons” for demanding a JPC inquiry into the Tehelka expose a full month after the setting up of the Justice Venkataswami Inquiry Commission.

“On retrospection, does the Congress understand that the role it played during the Budget session has been totally negative and that it has only helped in increasing the anger and displeasure of the people?” Mr Krishnamurthy asked.

Defending the government against charges of “inaction” on the Tehelka expose, he said: “No action can be taken without an inquiry. Even in the Bofors case, this was done”. PTI 

Panel on Tehelka seeks papers on Barak

New Delhi, April 27
The Venkataswami Commission, probing the Tehelka expose, has sought from the government the papers relating to the deals for the acquisition of the Israeli Barak missiles and Russian T-90 tanks.

“We have asked the Ministry of Defence for all documents pertaining to the various defence deals mentioned in the footage of Tehelka tapes,” Mr Justice K. Venkataswami, who is heading the one-man commission, said today.

Asked whether the commission has sought papers relating to Barak missiles and T-90 tanks, he said “yes.”

The commission had already sent notices and summons to various parties concerned, including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home and other intelligence agencies like IB, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, tehelka.com and Zee networks.

The commission had granted time till May 4 for the submission of documents and evidence by these parties, the judge said adding that individual notices would be sent after viewing the edited and unedited footage shot in the portal’s sting operation.

Asked when public hearings will start, he said: “The regular sittings will be somewhere by the end of May or first week of June.”

The commission would also constitute its investigation team headed by an Inspector General-level police officer from the Delhi Police, he said.

Stating that the commission’s proceedings will be “mostly public” except when some sensitive defence matters would come up, Mr Justice Venkataswami did not rule out the “conspiracy angle” to the expose.

“I don’t rule out that the commission may look into the motives behind the allegations,” he said.

On the commission taking services of the investigating agencies for conducting investigation during its proceedings, Mr Justice Venkataswami said besides taking help from government agencies, if required, it might engage private agencies also.

Hoping that the commission will be able to complete the investigations in given time-frame of four months, the judge said though it was the commission’s endeavour to finish the task in stipulated time, it depended on the “cooperation” from everyone.

Appointed to probe if any illicit gains have been made by persons in public office, individuals or any other organisation as alleged by the portal and if so to what extent, the commission has to complete its probe within four months. PTI