Amar Singh rejects having a role in cash for vote scam

New Delhi, July 22 : Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh on Tuesday strongly rebutted allegations that he had paid Rupees one crore each to three BJP MPS' in exchange for them abstaining from this evening's trust vote.

Addressing a packed news conference at his residence in the capital, Singh said that he has very sick for the last three days, and had not moved out of his house at all.

He further went onto say that former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh was at his house all this time, and there was no way he could have given this money to the BJP MPS' without being watched by the media which was crowding outside his house.

Expressing his deep anguish over the charge against him and another party leader Reoti Ranjan, Singh said the BJP leadership, including its Prime Minister designate L.K. Advani had no right to point fingers on this score at him, when their own party stalwarts had accepted and done the same in the recent past.

In the first instance, he said, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh had gone to the capital's Maurya Hotel to handover money to a politician given to him by Advani, and in the second instance, a bribe was given away by the BJP on July 2.

Referring to the three BJP MPs' -- two from Madhya Pradesh -- (1) Ashok Chhaviram Argal, 39, representing the Morena (SC) constituency, (2) Faggan Singh Kulaste, 48, representing the Mandla (ST) constituency and the third was Mahaveer Bhagora, 61, representing the Salumber (SC) constituency in Rajasthan, Amar Singh said: "Are these three MPs' so cheap that they can be bought off for Rupees one crore. These are all cooked up stories by these three MPs'. They are trying to trap me in an illegal manner. If they wanted to trap me, they should keep in mind my standing."

He further went on to say: "Are these three MPs' prostitutes. I am ready for any kind of probe. Why have they not gone to the police. My house is located in a key place in the city. Prove it that I gave this so called money away to these MPs".

ANI