New Delhi, Oct 14 : Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government was colluding with Salman Khurshid to bail the Law Minister out of the allegations of financial irregularities in an NGO run by him and his wife.
Posing five questions to Khurshid, the activist claimed that the allegations were not his but that of the Uttar Pradesh government, whose probe “proved the irregularities” done by the NGO run by the Minister and his wife Louise.
”These are not our allegations. These are the allegations of Akhilesh Yadav government. The matter was probed by the state government and a report was submitted on June 12 and send to Central government which issued a show cause notice,” Kejriwal said, addressing protesters at Parliament Street who were into their third day of demonstration demanding the resignation of Khurshid and registration of case.
”...Already the issue has been probed. But now Akhilesh Yadav says this will be probed again. We suspect that it will not be a probe but an effort to destroy evidence. It appears that the issue have been settled between both of them (Yadav and Khurshid). It appears they have managed it,” Kejriwal alleged.
Khurshid, who was in London for the past few days and returned to Delhi this morning, denied the allegations levelled by a TV news channel and Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption that the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust owned by him and his wife Louise was involved in cases of financial misappropriation and forgery.
”I will fight back the allegations with sufficient proof,” Khurshid told reporters here.
Earlier in the day, IAC volunteers staged protests at the IGI airport when Khurshid arrived from London and later another group staged protest outside his residence also. Around 15 people were detained by police in the two protests.
Kejriwal also led a march around Connaught Place along with disabled people. He also challenged Khurshid to have a public discussion at Jantar Mantar over the allegations.
In his address, Kejriwal asked Khurshid whether he accepts the contention of former Special Secretary Ramraj Singh that his signature was forged by his NGO to get grants and another senior official J B Singh that a fake affidavit was submitted by the NGO.
”Your NGO claims that it conducted camps on various occasions for differently-abled people. UP government's probe says that no such camps were conducted. What do have to say?” Khurshid said.
On remarks by a Samajwadi Party leader that they will take action against him if the allegations are found false, he said, “if the allegations are found false, then action should be taken against Akhilesh Yadav and not me. The probe report was by the UP government and if Khurshid is innocent, then Akhilesh Yadav should face punishment.”
Acting on the request of Law Minister Salman Khurshid's wife Louise, the Uttar Pradesh government has begun the process of verifying the handicapped welfare examination report of Zakir Hussain Trust run by the couple for 2009-2010 which is embroiled in a controversy.
In a communication to Louise Khurshid on October 3, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told her that he has forwarded her letter in this regard to the Chief Secretary of the state's Handicapped Welfare Department and she will be apprised of the action taken there of.
