The Hindu : Fernandes challenges Tehelka expose

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 09, 2002

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Fernandes challenges Tehelka expose

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 8. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, today contested tehelka.com's claim that "Operation Westend" had helped disclose corruption in the armed forces.

"I have my own conclusions about the entire operation. I am looking at the end-result which helped Pakistan and the losers were my country and the defence forces and all that is related to their morale...I challenge the truth behind this operation,'' he said before the Venkataswami Commission probing the news portal's revelations about alleged sleaze in defence purchases.

Appearing before the commission shortly after being denied from speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Fernandes charged the news portal with not following the appropriate course.

It could have approached the Defence Minister or the Prime Minister with its information.

"If they found both corrupt, they could have brought it to the notice of the President of India who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces. This was not done. The bona fides or mala fides are obvious,'' he said.

Asked about the meeting between the Tehelka scribes and the Samata Party leader, Jaya Jaitley and R.K. Jain, Mr. Fernandes doubted the authenticity of the tapes.

"The whole thing was a sham. One could see dark rooms and some heads but no legs while some voices were heard and transcripts appeared on the screen.''

He felt Mr. Jain was deceived into boasting about his influence in the corridors of power and claimed that he was lying that he would take up the deal of hand-held thermal imagers with the Defence Minister. "One conman met another conman,'' he observed.

The Minister denied that he had ever discussed defence matters with his party colleagues.

The party at that time functioned from his official residence but that was generally the case with smaller parties.

He said he could not answer about the meeting where Ms. Jaitley had asked the undercover reporters to hand over Rs. 2 lakhs to the Samata Party leader, Gopal Pacherwal. "These questions could be better asked to Ms. Jaitley,'' he said, while giving a clean chit to his party colleague.

"She is one of the finest political activists in the country at present. I have known her for the last 25 years. She is a person of great distinction. We are proud of it.'' The Minister also dwelt at length about how he came to know of the scam allegedly involving his Ministry officials.

The much-awaited appearance lasted for 90 minutes and Mr. Fernandes was assisted by several lawyers including Fali S. Nariman.

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