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Former Samata party chief Jaya Jaitly claims Sonia shielded Tehelka financiers

Published

9 years ago

November 7, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Jaitly , a close aide of former defence minister George Fernandes makes a slew of allegations against Sonia Gandhi, other Congress leaders in her memoirs

Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly has accused the Congress of having a hand in the Tehelka sting ‘Operation West End’, which led to then defence minister George Fernandes’ resignation from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. In her autobiography, released on Tuesday, Jaitly – a close aide of Fernandes – has also alleged that when the UPA government came to power, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had asked then finance minister P Chidambram to ensure that Tehelka’s alleged financiers are not treated in an “unfair” or “unjust” manner.

Jaitly has made these claims in her memoir, ‘Life Among the Scorpions: Memoirs of an Indian Woman in Public Life’. The book hints at the links between Sonia Gandhi and the Tehelka news portal, particularly in the Tehelka sting ‘Operation West End’.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The sting operation had created a huge scandal during the Vajpayee regime through its visuals that showed then BJP national president Bangaru Laxman, Jaya Jaitly and several other high ranking defence ministry officials and Army personnel accepting bribes from reporters posing as representatives of a (fictitious) London-based arms manufacturing company called West End. The sting operation had catapulted Tehelka magazine into international prominence while it effectively ended the political careers of George Fernandes, Bangaru Laxman and Jaya Jaitly. Tehelka was then run by veteran journalist Tarun Tejpal who is now facing trial in a rape case.

The memoirs of Jaitly revisit the Operation West End controversy, her alleged role (or innocence) in the bribery scandal, pin the blame on the Congress for covertly arranging the sting and in later years following the Congress-led UPA coalition coming to power, the alleged role of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in helping Tehelka financiers get away from a probe into allegations of their financial impropriety.

“I included the letter in my book to show the truth behind accusations against me that I met with wrong people and assured them of my help in exchange for money. The wrong people were fake. Neither did I give them any assurances, nor asked and received any money. I have been going to court for nine years for the wrong allegations (sic),” Jaitly told news agency ANI while responding to queries on the supposed revelations she has made against Sonia Gandhi.

Jaitly’s accusations have given BJP leader and known Sonia-basher Subramanian Swamy another chance to hit out at the Congress president and seek investigations against her.

Swamy has urged the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to register a case against the Congress president on the basis of letters revealed by the former Samata Party president in her book.

“CBI can register a case in the preventional corruption act because she(Sonia Gandhi) wrote the letter under the official title of the chairman of the National Advisory Council and ED can file a case of money laundering. Both Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh are equally culpable because they had assisted in the commission of the crime,” Swamy told mediapersons.

Swamy claimed that he had released a similar letter two years ago, but nobody took it seriously at that time.

Jaitly referred to the ongoing nine-year-long corruption case against her, wherein the CBI filed a charge sheet alleging that she had accepted a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in 2001 (as shown in the Tehelka sting). She was alleged to have accepted the money in exchange for persuading former defence minister George Fernandes to award the contract of hand-held thermal imagers to the fictitious company West End International.

There are, in total, three letters enclosed in Jaitly’s book – a letter by Tehelka directors and a letter by Tehelka Financiers – First Global addressed to Sonia Gandhi and the third letter from Sonia Gandhi to then finance minister P Chidambaram on behalf of Tehelka and its financiers. The book further hints that Sonia tried to convince Chidambaram to shield the Tehelka financiers.

“I positioned the letter in such a way to show that a letter was written to someone who is even above the prime minister, who then wrote to the finance minister relating their problem, and immediately the problem was solved. This is the reality unlike the allegations against me which are fake,” Jaitly said, and added, “to save a person, who paid Tehelka to conduct a sting operation, there must be some connection.”

The letter by Sonia was written merely months after the UPA formed the government, with Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.

“Without having any official post in the government, Sonia Gandhi writing letter to the finance minister shows how much power she held,” Jaitly said, adding: “Unlike the usual delay in official matters, an action was taken within five days. They were so energetic. Was this the only work they had after coming in the Centre?”

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari reacted to the entire controversy and said ‘Tehelka’ was targeted by the NDA-BJP government for exposing the dirty dealings of their associates.

“In 2001, a news portal called Tehelka carried out a sting, in which they exposed the dirty dealings of a number of eminences associated with the NDA-BJP government, including the then BJP President Bangaru Laxman. He was caught on candid camera taking money for allegedly doing favours in a defence deal. Subsequently, the NDA-BJP government came down like a tonne of bricks on that news portal,” Tewari claimed.

“It was the classical case of shooting the messenger rather than listening to the message. Exactly in the manner in which today the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income-Tax department is being abused by this government against its political opponents. In fact, a commissioner inquiry was constituted that got nowhere and on the other hand, a news organisation which had done its legitimate duty was hounded to the ground. Under those circumstances, an intervention with the right intent for the freedom of speech and expression was done at that point of time to ensure that vendetta and witch hunt comes to an end,” Tewari said.

Meanwhile, Chidambaram has said that he does recall making a noting on the letter by Sonia but without disclosing its contents, the former finance minister instead has asked the media to seek copies of the said letter from the government, claiming that once his response is read along with the letter by Sonia that Jaitly has produced in her memoirs, the truth behind the Samata Party chief’s allegations will be exposed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:Atal Bihari Vajpayee Congress Sonia Gandhi

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Hardeep Singh Puri elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh after the nominations of two other candidates, including a Congress-backed nominee, were rejected.

Published

2 hours ago

November 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Union Petroleum Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hardeep Singh Puri has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. The announcement was made on Thursday after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended, leaving Puri as the only candidate in the contest.

Puri’s election followed the rejection of nomination papers filed by two other candidates, Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, who was backed by the Opposition Congress. Their nominations were rejected during the scrutiny process, making Puri the sole candidate remaining in the fray.

Returning Officer Umesh Sharma formally declared Puri elected to the Upper House of Parliament. Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal collected his certificate of election from the returning officer in the presence of party MLA Rameshwar Sharma.

Why Hardeep Singh Puri was elected unopposed

The Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bypoll witnessed three candidates initially entering the contest. However, the nomination papers of the two other candidates did not clear scrutiny.

Kante Sayanna and Congress-backed candidate Rajkumar Lohani had their nominations rejected during the examination of election papers. With both candidates out of the contest, Puri remained the only candidate.

As a result, the returning officer declared him elected unopposed on the final day of withdrawal of nominations on November 5.

The bypoll, if required, had been scheduled to take place on November 12.

Why the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant

The by-election became necessary following the resignation of former Union minister L Murugan from the Rajya Sabha last month.

Murugan’s departure created a vacancy in the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh. His original term was scheduled to continue until April 2, 2030.

The BJP subsequently nominated Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the by-election.

Puri, a former diplomat who later entered politics, currently serves as the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

India News

Amit Shah challenges Rahul Gandhi to debate SIR in Parliament

Amit Shah responded to Rahul Gandhi’s public debate challenge by inviting him to discuss the SIR exercise in Parliament. He also criticised the Congress over its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Published

5 hours ago

November 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to take up his demand for a public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament, saying the government is ready to convene a special session to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Addressing a rally in Haryana’s Karnal, Shah directly responded to Gandhi’s challenge to the Prime Minister, asking the Congress leader to write to PM Modi if he wanted a discussion.

“I want to challenge Rahul Gandhi directly. You challenge PM Modi for a discussion? If you want a discussion, simply write a letter to PM Modi. We are ready to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR exercise… Come and debate in Parliament,” Shah said.

The remarks came two days after Rahul Gandhi issued another public debate challenge to the Prime Minister.

On November 3, Gandhi wrote in a post on X that PM Modi could choose any stage or venue for a discussion. He proposed debating allegations concerning who was anti-national and who had connections with foreign forces, adding that the media and the country’s youth should also be present.

Amit Shah targets Congress over SIR controversy

During his address, Shah also criticised the Congress over its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Referring to the 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Home Minister argued that the Congress had lost despite no Special Intensive Revision exercise being conducted during those elections.

“Where was the SIR in 2014? You were completely wiped out even then. Where was SIR in 2019? You lost. There was no SIR in 2024 either, yet you lost again,” he said.

Shah also referred to the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, claiming that there was no SIR exercise in either state when the Congress suffered electoral defeats.

He accused the Opposition of disrupting parliamentary proceedings and organising protests on the streets instead of allowing Parliament to function.

Shah criticises Rahul Gandhi over protests

The Home Minister further alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress were creating disorder through street protests and parliamentary boycotts.

Shah said BJP workers would give a “fitting reply” if Gandhi continued to mobilise crowds on the streets.

He also questioned Gandhi’s claim to have mobilised large numbers of people for a rally in Delhi, alleging that the venue had a capacity of 70,000 and was still half empty despite an appeal to bring 10 lakh people.

“The people of the country have consistently defeated Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. The people of the country are not with you or the Opposition alliance,” Shah said.

Amit Shah raises questions over Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits

Shah also sought details about Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits, arguing that people had a right to know about them.

“You’re Leader of Opposition… People have the right to know,” the Home Minister said.

His remarks came amid the continuing political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the SIR exercise, electoral processes and the Opposition’s criticism of the Election Commission.

India News

Women’s cash schemes in Chhattisgarh ease inflation, not entrepreneurship

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2026

vikram

By Neeraj Mishra

As Chhattisgarh celebrated its 26^th Foundation Day with Home Minister Amit Shah as chief guest, there are worries about the cash programmes for women.

With the payment of the 33^rd consecutive monthly installment of Mahtari Vandan Yojana to more than 67 lakh beneficiaries, Chhattisgarh has created a record of sorts. The 67 lakh women are supposed to have received a monthly cash dole of Rs 1000 per head in their accounts totaling to a mammoth Rs 21,350 crore. It translates into a very neat Rs 33000 per head for each married woman over the age of 21 so far.

And all these women are KYC- checked and receive the direct benefit transfer. If there are an average of three married women in a joint family, then the amount totals to better than the average rise in paddy prices. That’s not all, there are six other women’s schemes which provide easy loans and rent free shops in good locations. These schemes pump in a further Rs 11,000 crore into each household every year. Further, the renamed MNREGA has another Rs 16,200 crore reserved for the state every year.

So far so good and it reads like a state government PR pamphlet. Now for the bad news. The cash dole has so far been absorbed by the family itself because of the inordinate rise in fuel prices. By all accounts only 23 per cent of the households who receive gas cylinders are able to continue buying it. Only 15 per cent of those who received loans for various trades including e-rickshaws have been able to sustain it. This is roughly about 41,000 women so far.

The state had also invested in physical infrastructure like sheds and shops for trades like mushroom farming, goat farming and small size hatcheries. Some shops were given rent free on prime locations in Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur etc. Most of these facilities have been abandoned as the self-help groups (SHGs) formed for the purpose haven’t been able to convert it into a profitable venture. In fact, each SHG, which usually has 11 women, is given a monthly encouragement amount of Rs 15,000 which is now being split amongst the group with nothing to show for it. Most sheds have either broken down or have become illegally occupied. Better still, the shops have been handed over to businessmen to recover some of the cost.

“The main reason these schemes have not had the desired effect is lack of training and a general apathy on part of the entrepreneurs because of easy cash,” said an official. And that best sums it up.