There were many red faces in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister today after Abdul Rehman, who’s representing stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi, managed a meeting with L K Advani and emerged to level serious charges at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal. Caught napping for not doing a check on who Rehman was and how he had been granted an appointment with Advani, officials came up with the lame explanation that Rehman never mentioned he was Telgi’s lawyer. They said he simply introduced himself as a Supreme Court lawyer and a concerned citizen who wanted to pass on some ‘‘vital information’’ on the Telgi case to the Deputy Prime Minister. After he had his say, Rehman walked out of Advani’s office, leaving behind his telephone numbers. In Bangalore, Advani’s party pounced on all that Rehman said in Delhi about Bhujbal and Karnataka minister Roshan Baig. Speaking to reporters, Karnataka BJP president Ananth Kumar demanded the sacking of Baig: ‘‘Today, after meeting Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in Delhi, Rehman made a statement that Chhagan Bhujbal and Roshan Baig are involved. Baig should be dismissed and arrested for further interrogation and investigation’’. Baig, who was in Delhi for a meeting, dismissed Ananthkumar’s demand: ‘‘What do you expect from Ananthkumar? Will he shower praise on me? The Lok Sabha elections are coming and he is making this charge.’’
