''cash for votes'' scam takes an ugly turn

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) The 'cash for vote' scam took an ugly turn today when former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti and Lok Janshakti Party alleged that the BJP leadership itself had fabricated the whole event that had rocked Parliament on July 22 during the confidence motion.

The three BJP MPs had produced wads of currency notes allegedly paid as advance for their abstention from the confidence vote on July 22.

Playing a video and audio to substantiate her claim at a press conference, the former Chief Minister also demanded that Leader of Opposition L K Advani should apologise for misleading Parliament and the country.

The video shows an advocate taking a bag from the official residence of BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley and taking it to the residence of the BJP MP who had produced the currency notes in Parliament and leaving it there. The audio tape played claims that the BJP leadership knew of the whole truth and yet it allowed the display of money in the House.

However, doubts have been raised about the authenticity of the sting after the tape showed a hoarding hailing the MP for rejecting the allurements offered by the ruling UPA. The tape could not have been shot before July 22 but later, observers contended. Reacting to the event Mr Jaitley alleged that it was the handiwork of Samajwadi Party which wanted to wriggle out some way or the other by fabricating evidence to mislead the probe by the Parliamentary panel. ''It was unfortunate that Ms Bharti has become a player and the BJP was sorry about her fall,'' he said.

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