A letter purportedly written by 65 Indian Parliam entarians to US President Barack Obama asking him to continue ban on visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has boomeranged on the detractors of the BJP leader after nine “signatories” disowned the communication.
The BJP blamed ‘dirty trick department’ of the Congress for the conspiracy even as five MPs of the Congress denied having signed any such document, the ruling party seemed on a back foot.
Those who have distanced themselves from this letter include Sitaram Yechury (CPM), KP Ramalingam (DMK) and Achutan (CPI). Media reports claimed Vandana Chavan and Sanjeev Naik (NCP); Marotrao Kowase, Anil lad and Jayantrao Avale (Congress) have also denied having signed this letter. Congress MPs Pradip Bhattacharya and Joy Abraham said that they do not remember signing the letter.
The BJP latched on this opportunity and sought action against those who “forged” the signature of these lawmakers. A BJP MP from Jharkhand also wrote to lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar demanding a high-level probe.
“I do not remember having signed any such letter... It suggests some cut and paste job,” Yechury said, adding, “I deny having signed any such letter. It is neither in my character nor in the principles of my party — the CPI(M) — to petition any sovereign country on matters that fall strictly within the sovereign domain of that country.”
Ramalingam claimed he always signed in Tamil, but had no reply when it was told to him that his purported signature was in Tamil. Achutan, a Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, also denied writing to Obama. “To be frank, I do not remember writing to Obama,” he said.
However, Mohammad Adeeb, Independent MP, who took the initiative for the campaign, denied Yechury’s allegation. “Sitaram Yechury personally signed the letter in Rajya Sabha in front of me with his pen. I am ready to face any inquiry and any investigation into the matter,” he said. “Yechury should have contacted me and asked me what is the problem. Then he has gone to the media which is hurting...,” Adeeb said.
He maintained that for three-four days he had painstakingly done the job of collecting the signatures himself and hoped his lok Sabha colleagues also did the same. 40 lok Sabha and 25 Rajya Sabha members had reportedly signed the letter to the US President.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh was dismissive of the whole issue. “It is for the US to decide. We have nothing to do with it,” he said. Congress spokesman Raj Babbar said nation was “bigger” than politics. “The nation is bigger than politics...We do not know what individuals are doing. The issue has not been discussed in any fora of the party nor that of Parliament. Nothing has been discussed. It is a non-issue (for us),” Babbar told reporters.
BJP, however, saw a Congress hand in the whole issue. “The denial by some MPs of having written to Obama shows that this is a clear conspiracy of the dirty tricks department of the Congress. Some MPs have said their signatures were forged. There should be a thorough probe into the matter and the guilty should be booked,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Another BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman charged that these leaders were making US a third umpire in the issue. “External help to contain Shri Narendra ModiIJ These 65 MPs have failed to engage with him politically. Sponsored activists don’t trust Indian courts. Seeking external assistance to prop up their unjust cause. A third umpire in the USA for an Indian political fightIJ” she said on Twitter.