Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav on Monday launched a frontal attack on industrialist Vijay Mallya, and alleged that corporate giants were indulging in corrupt practices to find their way into Parliament.
Yadav, who was reacting to the claims made by Congress leader Birender Singh that Rajya Sabha seats are sold for Rs. 100 crores, said he was not aware of the monetary value of a seat in the Upper House, but knew that corporate giants were indulging in corrupt practices to find their way into the Parliament.
"I am not aware of what the rates are. However, it must not be generalized. People like Vijay Mallya and others who bring with them moneybags indulge in buying these seats. How much they pay for them, I am not aware," he said.
Yadav also made his party's position clear on the issue, and said there are no such discrepancies in the Janata Dal (United).
"In fact, neither can a wealthy man stand nor can a wealthy man use his money to win at our party" Yadav said.
"In the way the country's political sphere is deteriorating, there are aberrations. These people are managing to come into parliament for business," he added.
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Birender Singh has kicked up a storm by alleging and later retracting that Rajya Sabha seats are on sale. He had alleged that members are buying seats for as much as Rs 100 crore.
He had also alleged that such Rajya Sabha members would not perform for the benefit of the poor.
"A Rajya Sabha MP told me that he had a budget of Rs 100 crore to get into the Rajya Sabha. If people like this come into the Rajya Sabha, I am sure they won't do much for the poor," he had said, while addressing a gathering in Jind, Haryana.
Birender Singh later retracted from his statement saying what he meant was that more people with monetary power were now emerging on the political sphere of the country.
"Whatever is appearing on TV is entirely a wrong version of what I said. I said that after the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2009, there were crorepati MPs. I said that money power is becoming more important," he later claimed.