Prime Minister I K Gujral yesterday denied that he had directly or
indirectly interfered in any case under investigation, and said the surveillance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had nothing to do with a particular case it was handling.
Some people have tried to say that I tried to protect somebody. I categorically say it... I stake my reputation on this... neither directly or indirectly have I interfered in any case, repeat, any case, Gujral said in a television interview.
More From This Section
On the IBs surveillance, the Prime Minister said he checked up with the agency after he saw a newspaper report. He said he was told by IB chief Arun Bhagat that there were complaints from the Union finance ministry of some highly secret papers being leaked from the Enforcement Directorate.
They asked the IB to look into this, so the IB had gone there (ED), according to the director, to co-ordinate action as to how to look into this. Nothing beyond that. So all that speculation that sometimes the media indulges in... that is as if some action was being taken against ED because of some particular case, I want to contradict that, he said.
Gujral said he fully agreed with what Union finance minister P Chidambaram had stated on Fera violations and the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme. I entirely endorse what the finance minister has said. Nobody who is being tried under Fera will be able to escape because of this new scheme of disclosure, he said.
Dwelling on the Jain hawala case, the Prime Minister said the delay in filing the revision petition in the Supreme Court was due to the fact that the attorney-general was abroad, and his advice was vital. In his absence, Gujral disclosed, the opinion of a retired Supreme Court judge was sought by the Union law ministry. Without naming the judge, he said his opinion was not to file a revision petition.
But the A-Gs advice was that it should be filed. It has been filed. We have followed the A-Gs advice. So therefore the government is not trying to shield anybody or witch hunt... I have not stood in the way of filing the petition, Gujral said.
Several leaders charged by the CBI in the hawala case have been let off by the Delhi High Court. These included L K Advani, Buta Singh and Kamal Nath. Gujral has been under pressure from the Left parties to give the green signal to the CBI to approach the Supreme Court.
The CBI has gone to the Supreme Court and rightly so, I am not commenting on that because that is being done by the Supreme Court itself. It is being supervised. I wanted to be very clear on what is the advice of the attorney general. The A-G was abroad, it took time, Gujral said.
I categorically say it... I stake my reputation on this... neither directly or indirectly have I interfered in any case, repeat, any case.