Indian MPs Caught taking bribes on Camera!
THis is a Big set back, for wanna be superpower india. First the oil for food natwar singh scam and now this. India is trying to project itself as a shinging upcoming superpower but this will be a big set back for their self inflated egos!
India MPs suspended for ‘bribes’
India’s main political parties have suspended nine MPs for alleged bribe-taking, party officials say.
The governing Congress party suspended one of its members of parliament and the main opposition BJP five. Another party suspended three of its MPs.
They were among MPs secretly videotaped by a news website and a news channel allegedly accepting money for asking questions in parliament.
Some of the MPs shown in the videotape named say they have been “framed”.
While the whole country is debating probity in public life, our own MPs have been charged with showing greed
BJP leader LK Advani
The incident comes after India’s former foreign minister Natwar Singh resigned following allegations that he had benefited from the UN’s oil-for-food programme in Iraq.
The BBC’s Sanjeev Srivastava in Delhi says top party leaders acted swiftly following the latest allegations to try to counter the image that India’s political class is among the most corrupt in the world.
He says the nature of the expose has left little room for political manoeuvring, with some cynics also attributing the prompt action to the absence of any senior politician in the videotapes.
‘Framed’
Congress spokesman Ambika Soni told reporters the party had suspended one of its MPs who was videotaped allegedly taking a bribe.
She said the parliamentarian would be allowed to explain his position.
I am extremely scared if the allegations are correct
Somnath Chatterjee, parliament speaker
Announcing the suspension of the BJP MPs shown on tape, party chief LK Advani said the allegations were “too serious” to be “glossed over”.
“It is a matter of concern for us because, while the whole country is debating probity in public life, our own MPs have been charged with showing greed for raising questions in parliament,” he said.
MPs belonging to some regional parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), were also shown taking money in the videotapes secretly recorded by the Cobrapost news site and Aaj Tak television.
BSP leader Mayawati said three of her MPs shown on the tapes had been suspended too.
“But when we asked them about the allegations, they said they were innocent and were framed,” she said in a statement.
‘Serious matter’
RJD leader and federal railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav said action would be taken against an MP of his party who had been shown allegedly accepting money in the videotapes.
“One of my MPs have been named and very strict action will be taken,” Mr Yadav was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
The speaker of India’s lower house, Somnath Chatterjee, said the tapes were a “serious matter”.
“I am extremely scared if the allegations are correct… I am looking into it with all the seriousness,” he told reporters.
According to the Cobrapost website, the “investigation” recorded 11 MPs belonging to various parties “taking cash for asking questions in the parliament”.
“The MPs took between $232 and $10,000 each to ask questions on the floor of the house,” Cobrapost’s Aniruddha Bahal was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
Nearly five years ago, Indian news website Tehelka taped video footage of senior politicians, bureaucrats and Indian army officers apparently taking money in connection with a defence deal.
The scandal forced the resignation of the then BJP president, Bangaru Laxman, and former federal defence minister, George Fernandes.
hint hint