Upping the ante against Union Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, the BJP said the minister should not be sacked but be interrogated by the CBI over his alleged links to the main accused and his suspected role in the jobs-for-cash scam.
As BJP and ABVP activists held protests outside Bansal’s residence in Chandigarh and Delhi, the Congress appeared to have made up its mind to brazen it out, by refusing to take action against its leader. However, the BJP is obviously better placed to target the ruling party in the coming days, as the arrest of Bansal’s nephew for taking bribe from a senior railway officer would surely find resonance with the people. Unlike the other cases of corruption, the Railgate scam would be much easier to explain to the common man.
“We are putting forward this demand on behalf of the people of India. Whether it is Bansal or Ashwani Kumar, the ruling party is trying to save them because it knows, as soon as these ministers are out, the prime minister will be in direct line of fire,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Bhopal.
He even wondered whether there were two standards for corruption for ministers belonging to the Congress and its allies. “Former telecom minister and DMK leader A Raja was made to resign and that was the right thing to do. But why does Congress have this double standards,” Prasad asked.
In Chandigarh, former MP and BJP leader Satyapal Jain sought to puncture Bansal’s claim that he did not have any business dealings with his nephew Vijay Singla, who was caught with the bribe money. “Bansal must be interrogated by the CBI..,” Jain said.
BJP for CBI Probe
Former Member of Parliament from Chandigarh and senior BJP leader Satya Pal Jain on Sunday demanded that the CBI interrogate Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who has denied having business links with his nephew, who was arrested for allegedly accepting `90 lakh to promote a railway official.
Jain on Sunday produced documents to prove that Bansal, and his family, had close business links with his nephew Vijay Singla, who was arrested by the CBI on Friday night from the city.
“I am surprised why the CBI has not interrogated Bansal yet. Documents that establish a clear business link between Bansal’s family and his nephew are available,” Jain said.
He claimed that Bansal’s two sons were directors in some of the companies floated by Vijay Singla, who is the son of Bansal’s sister.
Jain claimed that the companies floated by Singla had given the address of Bansal’s palatial house in an upscale area of Chandigarh’s Sector 28.“If they are using his address for their companies, how can there not be a business link? Why is Bansal not coming out in public and answering questions being raised on him?” Jain asked.