Gavit ready to face any form of inquiry

New Delhi, Aug 14: Challenging the authenticity of a television channel report that he had talked to a jailed mafia don, Minister of State for Home Manik Rao Gavit today offered to face any kind of inquiry, quit politics and accept punishment if the allegations were found to be correct.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha after Question Hour, Mr Gavit said a perusal of the speeches he had made in the House during his long stint of eight terms as an MP would show that he had never used the kind of language that was shown on the channel, which had claimed it to be a conversation between him and the jailed criminal Sundar Singh Bhati.

Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and several other members suggested that Parliament consider the issue of ''sting operations'' being conducted by the electronic media frequently and enact a suitable law to ensure that honest politicians were not subjected to humiliation on the basis of incorrect information.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he would call a meeting of the floor leaders of various parties in the House to discuss the issue.

Mr Gavit, Congress MP from Maharashtra, said he came to know about the alleged conversation, which reportedly took place some days ago, through a television channel last evening. The alleged conversation related to the Minister's son-in-law purchasing land and getting a jail official transferred. ''The words that were used (in the conversation shown on the channel) were not polite'' and were at variance with the kind of language he was known for in the House, he said.

He said the telephone call should be investigated. ''In my entire life I have never been involved in any illegal activity,'' he said and added that he was not at all acquainted with the topography of Bulandshahar (Uttar Pradesh), where Bhati was presently in jail, but the conversation shown on the channel made it clear that the persons involved in the telephone talk had thorough knowledge of various locations in that place.

Asserting that he had never met Bhati, he said the television channel should have talked to him to cross check with him the authenticity of the conversation before going public with it. At least it could have talked to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

''If I am found guilty I should be punished. I am ready for any sort of inquiry and punishment if proved guilty...Without any concrete evidence, no body should be humiliated like this...No one's image should be marred like this.'' Demanding the constitution of a Parliamentary inquiry immediately, he said he would not participate in any ''government activities'' till he was cleared in the case.

Earlier, during question hour, the Opposition BJP had demanded a discussion on the issue.

The issue was raised by BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra as soon as the Lower House assembled this morning.

''This is a very serious issue, a Union Minister of State for Home talking to a mafia don who is in a jail in Uttar Pradesh,'' said Mr Malhotra.

''I have been informed of the issue. I have also seen the television report,'' Mr Chatterjee said and announced that the Minister would make a statement.

UNI