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Journalism of Courage
BJP leader in the Maharashtra legislative council Nitin Gadkari repeated today that fake stamp paper scam mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi financed the stay of Congress-NCP legislators in Bangalore during a no-confidence vote against the Democratic Front government in 2002.
Speaking to mediapersons while campaigning for Pune Lok Sabha candidate Pradeep Rawat, Gadkari said he has already filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court showing Telgi’s links with the DF ministers. ‘‘I have asked former deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal five questions. I dare him to refute those charges,’’ he said.
Gadkari said Telgi had paid the Jet Airways bill of Rs 78 lakh to ferry Congress-NCP MLAs from Mumbai to Indore and then to Bangalore. ‘‘I have a copy of the bill. Let the DF government deny it on affidavit,’’ he charged.
He said a raid on filmstar Sanjay Khan’s Golden Palm spa in Bangalore had shown that the actual cost of keeping the flock of MLAs was Rs 1.1 crore. ‘‘Of that, Rohan Baig, brother of Karnataka minister Roshan Baig, had paid Rs 27 lakh on behalf of Telgi,’’ he alleged.
Gadkari dared Bhujbal to prove his allegations wrong or face arrest. The BJP leader also claimed to possess two letters from Inspector Dilip Kamath who claimed to have allowed Telgi to stay at a hotel and visit a dance bar following Bhujbal’s instructions.
