Cong not against sting CD telecast if Speaker desires

New Delhi, Jul 25 (UNI) The Congress today said it had no objection to the telecast of the 'cash-for-vote' sting CD, if Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee wanted it to be made public.

''We have nothing against... if the Speaker wants the telecast of the CD,'' Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.

The CD, which is in the possession of the Speaker, carries a video recording of the Rs one crore ''bribe'' allegedly given to three BJP MPs to switch loyalties in the July 22 trust vote.

Asked who could be behind the scandal, Mr Ahmed said rumours were floating that the bribe money belongs to a businessman with whom the wife of a chief minister has business links.

The bribe money has the stamp of State Bank of Indore, he said and added that he was only citing the unconfirmed reports.

He, however, refused to name the chief minister or his wife.

''I don't know, I am saying what people are talking,'' he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Ahmed said it was only on the insistence of the Speaker that a formal complaint was made today by the three MPs-- Ashok Argal, Fagan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora.

While lodging the complaint, the three MPs had sought a copy of the sting CD.

About the allegations against Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel being one of the bribe givers, the Party spokesman said Mr Patel had already stated that he would resign from public life if the charges were proved correct.

UNI YJ RP AS1822