Tehelka scoop may affect GIM

BJP MLA denies allegations; may seek legal action

The Tehelka exposure saying Best Bakery case victim Zahira Shaikh was bribed by BJP leader and MLA Madhu Shrivastava comes at a wrong time for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi who is gearing up for the Global Investors' Summit (GIM) to be held in January in Ahmedabad.

At a press meet convened in Delhi on Wednesday evening, Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal said that BJP leader Shrivastava paid Rs 18 lakh to Shaikh to turn hostile in the case.

Modi was not available for comment on the development, while a senior member of his Cabinet, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard, "Some people, especially a section of media, does not want to relieve Gujarat and Modi from the ghost of 2002 riot cases. The Tehelka exposure is the latest in this series of attempts being made by a section of the media."

The Union textiles minister and an arch-rival of Modi, Shankersinh Vaghela, said, "Under political pressure, money and physical assault, the Modi-led BJP government has influenced Zahira to change her statement." "Shrivastava and others are working under Modi's instructions and Modi is the brain behind all this small timers."

"Modi has been spending money from the state exchequer for his world trips. He claims that investors are keen to set up industries in Gujarat. But all these are attempts to divert people's attention," he added.

"The ghost of the Best Bakery case would not leave Modi so early. In spite of Zahira's hostility and retraction of statements before the judiciary, the Tehelka exposure would definitely help the anti-Modi lobby within BJP and outside the party," said a senior Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee leader and former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin.

Shrivastava denied charges of paying Rs 18 lakh to Zahira.

Talking to Business Standard in Vadodara, Shrivastava said, "I have never met Shaikh and so why there is a question of paying her any money. All these allegations levelled by Tehelka are baseless and I may seek legal action after consultation with my party."

Last month in Vadodara Zahira had said that she was forced by activist Teesta Setalwad to give statements against the Modi government.

Commenting on the allegations of providing facilities by BJP leaders to Zahira during her visit to Vadodara in November, Shrivastava said, "No BJP leader had provided her any facility during her visit to Gujarat."

Interestingly, Chandrakant Bhathu, councilor of Vadodara Municipal Corporation, said: "I had learnt from Nissar Bapu about the deal and negotiations with Shaikh but I have not paid the money to Shaikh."

Bapu was allegedly involved in riots which started after the Godhra carnage.

"I regularly meet Bhathu being a municipal councilor. I do not know who recorded the conversation, but I am involved in the deal." Bapu was elected to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation on a Nationalist Congress Party ticket.