Cash-for-vote: Advani meets ex-aide and alleged scam ‘mastermind’ in jail

The BJP had earlier defended Kulkarni and asked why beneficiaries of the scam have not been quizzed as yet.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said no action had been initiated against those who gave the money in the infamous scandal.

“Action has been taken against whistleblowers rather than against those who even showed a chest of money,which was reported by Wikileaks as the cash ready to buy MPs. They have not been questioned. None of the beneficiaries of this cash-for-vote issue have been questioned,” she added.

Sitharaman said many leaders in the BJP were aware of the sting operation planned by Kulkarni,since the Congress party sought to buy many votes of Opposition members.

Kulkarni,a senior columnist,functioned in the Prime Minister’s office during the NDA government.

The cash-for-votes scam rocked proceedings in the Lok Sabha in 2008,when the ruling UPA government,led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,allegedly bribed lawmakers of other parties to help winning the confidence vote.