On New Revelations on Tehelka Tapes

Date: 
Thursday, August 23, 2001

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The new revelations of the tehelka tapes have proved that the episodes of corruption have much wider and scandalous ramifications than what appeared initially.

That is why the CPI(M) in parliament, demanded a thorough discussion in both the houses of parliament, at the very first exposure itself. But the Vajpayee government turned down the demand for discussion. Now it is strange to see the NDA MPs who had not the guts to agree to a discussion, had yesterday resorted to entering the well of the house demanding arrest of the management personnel of tehelka company, on grounds of ethics.

Though the methods employed to get to the truth can be questionable, it cannot exonerate BJP's former President, Bangaru Laxman, or Samata Party President for having taken bribes endangering the security of the country. The BJP-led government is trying to sidetrack the issue, to cover up their involvement in large-scale corruption.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the whole tehelka affairs must be taken up forthwith for a discussion in both houses of parliament.