Forged letter, insists Shourie

NEW DELHI, AUG. 24. The Union Disinvestment Minister, Mr. Arun Shourie, tonight said he was informed by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr. T.R Prasad, that the letter purportedly written by the latter on disinvestment of Air India and quoted by the senior Congress leader, Mr. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, in the Lok Sabha was forged.

``I was informed by the Cabinet Secretary on the phone that he had not written that letter. Later, he sent me an official letter in this regard'', Mr. Shourie told Star News.

He said nobody in the Prime Minister's Office was aware of this letter.

No, says Dasmunshi

However, Mr. Dasmunshi insisted that the letter which he read out in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on disinvestment was genuine. ``I wish to state that the document that I used both of the FERA violation of the Enforcement Directorate and the note that I read out of the Cabinet Secretary, I am convinced that it was genuine'', Mr. Dasmunshi told Star News.

``Whatever be the inquiry, I will only oblige Parliament and the House and not any other outside agencies,'' he said.

Asked to disclose the source from where he procured the letter, he said, ``It is my prerogative from where to get the document and where I use.''

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Women forums criticise Tehelka