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Journalism of Courage
In the thick of the controversy over accepting bribes, Union Minister of State for Forest and Environment Dilip Singh Judeo today termed the charges against him as false, fabricated and part of a conspiracy hatched by CM Ajit Jogi to tarnish his image before the elections.
Flying straight from Jashpur this evening, Judeo ruled out possibilities of his resignation from the Vajpayee ministry and declared that he would face the charges ahead. 8216;8216;I will give a befitting reply to Jogi, personally and at the party level,8217;8217; he declared. The minister said he had not done any wrong, so there was no question of his resignation.
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NDA leaders wait and watch
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| nbsp; | New Delhi, November 16: With BJP deciding to brazen it out on allegations against Judeo, NDA partners ran for cover this evening. Most parties wouldn8217;t comment and wanted to see what step the PM would take. Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee said she had been out all day and hadn8217;t watched the channels. Sharad Yadav said it was BJP8217;s 8216;8216;internal issue8217;8217;. INLD leader Ajay Chautala, who was in Jaipur, said he will observe how the controversy takes shape. Telegu Desam Parliamentary party8217;s leader Yerran Naidu said, 8216;8216;I think it is best for me to consult my leader, CM Chandrababu Naidu, before reacting. We8217;ll try take a stand tomorrow.8217;8217; Union ministers George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar were away in Bihar. Samata spokesman Shiv Kumar said: 8220;A copy of the tape should have been shown to Judeo ahead of ublication.8221;ENS | nbsp; | |||
Judeo announced that he would file a defamation suit and has already started consulting lawyers. Asked if he would file a case against The Indian Express, Judeo said: 8216;8216;If need be, I will do it to reach to the truth of the matter8217;8217;.
But later at a press conference Jogi distanced himself from the issue but demanded registration of criminal cases against Judeo. 8216;8216;There is no need for any inquiry. Video footage fully establishes the crime and straightaway an action must follow8217;8217;.
The CM also played the Dalit card saying that the BJP had quickly asked Bangaru Laxman to resign after the Tehelka expose but in Judeo8217;s case, the party was playing by different rules.
Judeo on the other hand blamed international forces and missionaries of conspiring against him since he had been carrying on Ghar Vapsi Abhiyan in the state.
Judeo vehemently denied having accepted any cash. 8216;8216;I don8217;t know who is this person named as Rahul. I never met him,8217;8217; he said but admitted that he had been in Delhi on November in connection with a party meeting for distribution of tickets.
Repeatedly naming Jogi, Judeo said the man who can forge IB documents, procure forged ST certificate can go to any extent to get video tapes doctored to frame his opponents. Judeo also recalled Jogi having registered 1,300 cases and booked him for power theft.
8216;8216;I have taken it as challenge and would face it bravely,8217;8217; he said. He termed Jogi as a 8216;8216;coward8217;8217; politician, who he said could not dare to face him in the Assembly elections after he threw-up the challenge.
