Dr Singh hit back at the opposition for raising “old charges that have been debated, discussed and rejected by the people of India.”
“The government rejects the allegations absolutely and firmly,” he said in identical statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, referring to the charges in the WikiLeaks that bribes were paid to win the Confidence Motion in July 2008.
Amid thumping of desks by the Treasury Benches, Dr Singh said, “No one from the Congress or government indulged in any unlawful act.”
Raising questions over the correspondence between the US Embassy and the State Department in Washington, the Prime Minister said, “The government cannot confirm the veracity, content or even the existence of such communication.”
To press his contention, he said those who have been named by the WikiLeaks have “stoutly rejected” the charges.
Hitting out at the Opposition, he said it was “unfortunate” that it continues to raise the “old charges”, giving “dignity” to the “speculative, unverified and unverifiable” communications purportedly between the US Embassy and its government in Washington. He pointed out that the UPA-I had won the Confidence Motion in July 2008 with 275 votes in favour and 256 against. However opposition were not satisfied with PM reply stage walk out from both the houses of parliament
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared to raise doubts over the veracity of diplomatic correspondence cited by the Wikileaks and insisted that he had “not authorised anybody” to purchase votes nor was he involved in any such “transactions”.”I think, people who are affected by them (Wikileaks expose), they have already commented on them, casting serious doubts about the veracity of allegations made in these diplomatic dispatches,” Singh said here while commenting on the Wikileaks expose which alleged that MPs were purchased during the 2008 trust vote.
“I have no knowledge of any such purchases and I am absolutely categorical, I have not authorised anyone to purchase any votes. I am not aware of any acts of purchase of votes,” he said while replying to questions at the India Today Summit.
“I am absolutely certain in asserting that I am not at all, I think, involved in any of these transactions,” the Prime Minister insisted.
“I would not like to comment on what we are going to do right now or in days to come. These are the matters which are being discussed in Parliament. If I have anything to say, we would say in Parliament first,” he said.
Meanwhile US has declined to comment on a WikiLeaks cable, which sparked allegations that UPA-I purchased the support of MPs to survive the trial of strength at the height of crisis over Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008, but noted it favours greater government transparency world over.
“I’m not going to say it’s (cable) classified or not, but certainly if it is classified, we wouldn’t speak about it, and we’re not going to speak about it in way, shape or form,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference.
He was responding to a question on the uproar in India over the WikiLeaks cable that claimed an aide of former Union Minister Satish Sharma had shown to the diplomat the currency chests that were part of Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore money collected by Congress for purchase MPs for the vote in the Lok Sabha.
“Does the US condone such open corruption in other governments?” a reporter asked Toner.
The spokesman replied: “To your broader question about corruption in government, of course the US is always for greater transparency in governments throughout the world because transparency in governments leads to better political systems that are able to, you know, help the people that they represent.”
“More broadly, we deal with corruption issues in many countries throughout the world. That’s an important part of our assistance efforts to many countries in the world. But specifically what pertains to India, I really can’t speak to that,” he added.