 "Sheila Dixit")
The Congress party on Monday reiterated its demand for a thorough probe into the bribery allegations against all those named in the Sahara diaries including its own party members.
Substantiating Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving kickbacks from the Sahara Group while he was the Gujarat Chief Minister, the party posted on Twitter the entries listing payments to several politicians that included Sheila Dikshit who is now the party's Uttar Pradesh chief ministerial candidate.
While rejecting the allegations, the former Delhi Chief Minister said she "did not recall anything" about the diary, asserting that she had "nothing to do" with any such diary.
According to the list which has several names including Modi's, Rs 1 crore in cash was given to Dikshit on September 23, 2013 in Delhi. She was in power until December 2013.
The Congress stressed on the need of the Prime Minister coming clean on the charges even at the cost of Dikshit.
"We are fully aware that several political parties and leaders primarily from the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) including Modi have been named in the documents.
"Whether any Congress leader is named or not, is not material. What is material is the Prime Minister's name is there," Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha told IANS.
"Modi is accused at the moment based on those documents and he should suo-motu call for an investigation," he said.
Asked if the party wanted the matter to be probed even at the cost of Dikshit, Jha said: "All the political parties, all the leaders featuring in the documents should be scrutinised starting from the Prime Minister".
"Rahul Gandhi has taken the bull by the horns and it doesn't matter which political party, which political leader's names are there.
"We need to establish whether there was corruption or not. Since Modi is the seniormost political executive in the country, he needs to subject himself to a thorough and neutral probe," said Jha.
Jha also questioned the government's silence on the issue.
"The issue is Modi is artfully ducking a very serious attack based on the documents which allege that certain money was paid to him.
"Why is the government silent? Is Modi suffering from guilt conscience that is why he is dodging it.
"If he is clean, then why is he scared? He should go after the political parties named in the list," added Jha.
