Karnataka Cong. chief steps down

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 7. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr. V. S. Koujalagi, accused of accepting bribe from a youth for a contract and allegedly videographed during the act, today put in his papers from the post. Mr. Koujalagi's resignation was announced by the AICC general secretary, Ms. Ambika Soni, here this evening, a day after the KPCC chief had called on the AICC leaders here.

Mr. Koujalagi, in his resignation letter to the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, claimed that the charges were ``false and baseless'' and vowed to fight to clear his name in the case, now with the Lok Ayukta. He said he took the decision keeping in view the sentiments expressed by Ms. Gandhi during her address at the Bangalore plenary last month.

Expressing confidence that he would be cleared of the charges levelled against him, he said the Lok Ayukta would submit its report soon. The timing of the 1998 incident coming to light now, made the Congress raise doubts about the manner in which it had been highlighted around the time the NDA held a rally at Bangalore in the wake of the Tehelka expose. In addition, it questioned the timing of the CBI case against the Congress president's secretary, Mr. Vincent George, and the 1991 petrol pump allotment to his wife, wondering whether these were the NDA Government's ``counter'' to the Tehelka expose.

Ms. Ambika Soni sought to hit back at the BJP wanting to know why it had not yet filed a case against its former president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman, had been ``caught red-handed'' accepting money.

She said the attitude of the BJP-led Government in filing cases against ordinary people and instituting a commission of inquiry when its senior leaders were involved was improper.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Karunakaran upset, quits CWC
Next     : PM plays host to Clinton