24, AKBAR ROAD, NEW DELHI
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
Highlights of the Press briefing
Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, MP, Spokesperson, AICC addressed the media today at AICC Hdqrs.
Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the grave apprehension of the Congress Party and of the country regarding interference with the highest levels of judiciary have been proved. No less than a Supreme Court Judge who demitted office a couple of days ago at the cusp of retirement have expressly articulated the grave threat to India’s highest judicial institution. He has in clear and unequivocal terms talked of the arbitrary bench selection, external influences, by implication remote controls and political biases injected into the system by the Government of India, by the ruling party – ruling party part I am adding, he didn’t say that but that is my allegation. Let me make it clear that we are not concerned, I want to repeat this, we are not concerned with how the judicial organ look at such things and how they thought it best to deal with it because they are fully competent and empowered to deal with it within their own judicial system. That is not my point at all. What we are concerned about as the responsible opposition party, is what the country is concerned about and through you we want to highlight is the accountability owed by the this Government which it owes as a political executive to this nation and we, therefore, demand a response from the PM and we demand it immediately. The nation rightfully wants to know the true nature, the true extent, the degree and the subject matter of interference talked about. We further condemn this unconstitutional, invasive and illegal effort by the Government. A Government which has become famous is known for its dirty tricks department. A Government known for the disrepute it has heaped upon every institution. A Government known for the abysmal erosion of bodies like the CBI, the Lokpal, the CIC, of Universities and above all, now as it happens from this statement comes out – the Supreme Court of India.
Imagine the implications of the categorical statement of Justice Joseph – which were those cases where these blatant and despicable initiatives were taken by the Government. I ask you i.e. through you – who took these initiatives? How many times was it done? It is clear that all these issues and apprehensions which we, the Congress Party, put before the nation, it now becomes clear they were based on well founded material and has now been proved right. Our attempts to rein in, to check, to warn against such misadventures have all now been proved correct.
Even more importantly, the frank admission and statement of the recently retired Judge shows how this Government act, it shows how this Government behaves and above all it shows how this Government thinks – by Government I include the ruling party, thinks. It establishes the way the ruling party and the Government’s mind works. It proves their complete lack of commitment to the nation and more importantly the fundamental pillars and institutions of the nation. For this ruling party, for this Government, everything is grist to their political mill – everything is grist especially where it serves the two ruling deities of this ruling party and this Government. I would call this a Government of the interfering, by those who have much to hide and for cover up of its false two idols. So, it is by the interfering, of the interfering, by those who have much to hide and for cover up of its misdeeds.
We need immediate clarifications. Since the ruling party and the Government is the accused, since the PM and Party President are de-facto accused as far as this charge is concerned, we can expect no answer from them. Even otherwise, we expect no answers from them. We expect the same eloquent silence. We therefore, need separate and distinct parliamentary enquiry and independent separate and distinct judicial enquiry – both independent and bring all these nefarious activities before the nation and we so demand immediately.
On a question about the filing of a charge sheet by the CBI in Punchkula case and ED attaching property worth Rs. 30 crores, Dr. Singhvi said –I can understand the anxiety and the frustration of this Government that every few days especially when the election season is around, you must have some of these comments to give a kind of a feeling as if something new is happening but unfortunately the facts are otherwise, these are all old cases. A process is going on – this is not a final order, this is not adjudication, this is not a decision. A charge sheet has been filed about which threats and speculation and speculative leaks have been going on since 2014. The charge sheet prior to the charge the basic action, the FIR itself was under heavy litigation and dispute. In fact, in one of the related case I am myself appearing. That matter is now fixed for 16th January. It will be decided one way or the other. Yes, you are right that the new action is the ED action of attachment but equally we must remember that ED acts as a consequential authority. ED action which is now mentioned by you is a consequential action. The validity of the ED action depends entirely on the validity of the preceding action. So if our stand in the legal proceedings is correct and we succeed which we are very strongly believe it next year, when the dates are put, when action goes, ED automatically goes. So that is nothing new in it except election season is on and our point is completely motivated by ill-will, malice and mala-fide has been repeated many times ago.
On the question of the tweet of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Dr. Singhvi said this is very interesting. Somebody who is ‘B’team of BJP, it is calling other people ‘B’ team. BJP considers him probably ‘C’ team but he considers himself as BJP’s ‘B’ team. In either event, bed fellows like this can scarcely make allegation against others and let me tell you allegations like this are deliberately made first to hide your own status as a ‘B’ team. Second the simple question is whose votes he is trying to divide? That is proved positive. He is clearly trying to divide anti-BJP votes. Next obvious question is? Whom does it help? That is required rocket science whom it helps? When if your answers these question, you know the true identify, the true object, the true nature of where he and his party stands. It does not require answer by anybody.
On the reaction of the Congress Party on Bulandshahr being tense, Dr. Singhvi said first of all let me convey condolences and sincere regret for the loss to life and property about whose details we are not certain yet. I pray to God it is minimum but let me convey condolences and sincere regrets.
But let me add now, a failure of this kind in a big State, a prominent state like Uttar Pradesh is the worst kind of failure of law and order and governance by the powers that be who are in-charge of that State and that failure and we are now not talking politics, not talking groups, not talking religion, not talking issues, irrespective of all of that this cannot be allowed to be happened by anyone who calls himself a government.
Number three – here is a Chief Minister who three times a day not only calls himself the Government but calls himself a model government and tells other people of other states in India to follow his law and order system. Here is a Chief Minister who is going across campaigning all over the country and this is happening in his own backyard. Here is a Chief Minister – Mr. Bisht – it is a different story how and when Yogis can become Chief Minister. This is another story in itself. I thought Chief Ministership, politics and Yogi are antithetical concepts. But that apart, what is interesting is that here is the poster boy of the BJP in terms of good governance and you have a complete breakdown. When he is sermonizing to other states, the other day I heard both Mr. Modi and Mr. Amit Shah and also himself Mr. Bisht saying that our things are so high, other States should follow us. We are good in to this and we are good into that. I think it is a sad moment he should first set his own house in order before gallivanting across the country and campaigning and preaching to others. This is utter failure of the law and order machinery first and foremost irrespective of religion, caste, creed and pious etc.
To another question that Shri O.P. Rawat, retired Chief Election Commissioner has said that demonetization has not helped curb black-money, Dr. Singhvi said – There is the university truth which everybody knows from November 2016. It is never been even the best kept secret in town. The universal truth is that demonetization is universally considered a disaster. There is a minority of two people in this country who think otherwise. One heads the Executive Government of India, the other the ruling party. Barring the minority of two, nobody thinks otherwise. It is a different matter that the vendetta politics of these two persons, the anger of these two persons is so high, that those in Government, when in Government find it unable to speak the truth but the truth does not alter, If you speak it even with a small time gap, the truth remains the truth. The truth is that a minimum of 1% in all likelihood, 1.5% GDP was shaved-off by the ego of one man. The truth is that either Rs. 1.5 lakh crore or Rs. two lakh crore was put in the garbage can away from the GDP of India by the ‘Ahankar’, ‘obstinacy’ of one man. Well all I can say at the end is, that is with folded hands I would request that one man, what is done is done, what harm you have caused is irreversible. Everybody who knows the subject is now speaking the truth, at least apologize to the nation – that is a very minor small palliative which you can do for the disaster which you have heaped upon this nation.
Sd/-
(Vineet Punia)
Secretary
Communication Deptt.
AICC
