CD claims 'cash for vote' was engineered by BJP leadership

The ���cash-for-vote scandal��� got murkier on Friday with former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati alleging that the entire episode was engineered by the BJP leadership. But the proof she presented at a news conference seemed to lack authenticity.

The Bharatiya Janshakti Party leader produced an audio recording of a conversation purportedly between BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste and a lawyer, Churamani Patel, in which the Mandla MP is heard claiming that the ���whistle-blowing ��� operation was engineered by the BJP leadership. He proceeds to name Mr L K Advani, Mr Rajnath Singh, Ms Sushma Swaraj and Mr Arun Jaitley as architects of the bribery scandal.

Ms Bharati also played a CD, which had blurred visual of a man walking in and out of former Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Shahid Siddiqui���s residence with a letter. He is later shown entering BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley���s office at 9 Ashoka Road.

The man is subsequently seen coming out of Mr Jaitley���s office with a brown bag. He is then shown entering BJP MP Ashok Argal���s residence with the bag. The man, who is later identified as Sanjeev Saxena, is last seen coming out of Mr Argal���s residence at 4 Ferozeshah Road with Churamani Patel.

But the footage also had a hoarding in the background congratulating Mr Argal for exposing the ���cash for vote scam��� indicating that it was shot well after the scam erupted.

Mr Patel, Ms Bharati claimed, had given her copies of the audio-visual recording. He was present on the occasion. Mr Saxena, interestingly, is the man who is alleged to have delivered Rs one crore as the initial bribe amount to the three BJP MPs at Mr Argal���s residence at the behest of SP general secretary Amar Singh, according to the BJP. He was described as a member of Mr Singh���s staff.

Mr Jaitley, when contacted, trashed the allegations . Describing them as `` absolutely rubbish,������ he lashed out at Ms Bharati. `` What a fall for a person who claims to be both religious and political to act as an agent of a disgraced politician,������ he said.

The latest turn of events makes the case murkier and more sordid, and will add to the worsening ties between the ruling side and the BJP. The BJP has already demanded that the contents of tapes prepared by CNN-IBN to cover the ���whistle-blowing operation��� be made public.

A seven-member panel headed by Congress MP V K Deo is looking into the complaint lodged by the three BJP MPs, including Mr Mahavir Bhagora, Mr Argal and Mr Kulaste.