Shrivastava fails to get party support on Tehelka expose

Even as Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Madhu Shrivastava has threatened to file a defamation suit against the Tehelka expose on bribery charges in the Best Backery case, not many party leaders of the state have come out openly in his support.

On Wednesday Tehelka had released a video clipping of Shrivastava admitting money payment to Zahira Shaikh, a witness in the case, to change her statement in the court.

Shrivastava, meanwhile, expressed his intent to file a defamation suit against Tehelka after its scoop rocked the BJP again on Wednesday with the claim supported by the video that Shrivastava had paid Rs 18 lakh to Sheikh to change her stand.

"I will file a defamation suit against Tehelka after taking advice from my lawyers. I will consult lawyers shortly for further action," Shrivastava told Business Standard.

"No senior BJP leader has contacted me. I also have not initiated talks as of now with the senior party leaders. However, being a member of party I will consult the party leaders before going ahead," said Shrivastava. "I have not spoken to chief minister Narendra Modi about the controversy," Shrivastava said.

Commenting on the authenticity of the video recording, Shrivastava said: "I am not denying my presence on the screen. But we might be discussing something else that was misrepresented by the reporters."

Shrivastava is not sure about the person who recorded the interaction between Vadodara municipal councilor Chandrakant Shrivastava alias Bhatthu and Nisar Bapu.

State BJP unit president Rajendrasinh Rana said there is no question of suspending the MLA "as there is absolutely no substance in the Tehelka expose".

When asked as to why BJP leaders were not coming out openly in support of him, Rana said: "Why should we even comment on something that is of no relevance. These tapes prove nothing and make no sense as far as we are concerned," Rana said.