House act: Cong asks for probe against 3 BJP leaders

The Congress here today demanded an impartial inquiry against three BJP leaders—leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh, party Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and General Secretary Ananth Kumar—for their alleged acts of omission and commission.

Party spokesman Anand Sharma singled out Naidu and Ananth for the irregularities in their ministries during NDA rule. When asked whether he favoured a CBI probe, Sharma said, ‘‘It should be an impartial inquiry.’’ Sharma described the Mumbai convention of BJP as Chinta Adhiveshan and argued that the party was passing through leadership, identity and direction crises. “No one knows whether Rajnath Singh or Naidu will succeed Advani. Besides, the BJP needs to repair the damage done to its image by the defence of the corrupt in the cash-for-query scam,” he added.

No Cong response to Mamta’s proposal

Having spurned the invitation of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee to share platform with her and BJP president L K Advani, the Congress is still non-committal to her plea for a joint front against the Left. Congress General Secretary and in charge of West Bengal affairs Ambika Soni told reporters here on Monday that response would depend upon whether the state Congress sent a proposal in the connection.

On reports about Defence Minister and PCC President Pranab Mukherjee holding talks with Mamata for seat adjustment, she said, “The two parties did have a tie-up during the last Assembly polls.”