What about Shekhawat’s conduct, Cong shoots back

Having to defend a spate of allegations against the UPA’s presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, the Congress today launched a counter-attack

Having to defend a spate of allegations against the UPA’s presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, the Congress today launched a counter-attack, pointing fingers at the conduct of Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who filed his nomination as an Independent candidate today.

Senior Congress leader Devendra Dwivedi said Shekhawat had attended a meeting of the NDA recently, which was “improper” for the Vice-President of India. Besides, as a custodian of the Constitution in his capacity as Rajya Sabha Chairman, it was improper for him to encourage “defection”, given that he did not have the numbers to hope for a victory in the presidential election.

As for the allegation that the Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank had waived loans for Patil’s relatives, Dwivedi absolved the UPA candidate of any responsibility, saying that she had no association with the bank after 1994 and, therefore, could not be held responsible. Besides, there was never any inquiry against her, Dwivedi said in a press briefing today.

The said bank was declared weak by the RBI in June 1995 and its licence cancelled in February 2003. An inquiry was ordered under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act in July 2001. Another inquiry was conducted in August 2002. It was closed without holding anybody responsible. There was never any inquiry under the Act against Patil, said Dwivedi.

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