Scorpene Scandal and Navy’s War Room Leak
Why is the government hiding behind accused Abhishek Verma to fire at the opposition?
The UPA government’s discomfiture over the exposes in the twin scandals of the “War Room Leak” in the naval headquarters and huge kickbacks in the Scorpene submarine deal is growing by the day.
In response to the demands raised by the NDA in this regard, Defense Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee made a statement in Parliament on March 22, which was a masterpiece in obfuscation and escapism. He took shelter behind the claim of the French company Thales, which is a black listed company world over for bribing political leaders to win contracts. Now, strangely, it is hiding behind the other accused – chief middleman Abhishek Verma – to fire at the opposition.
It is irony that Mr. Verma who was booked for having fake passport and many other crimes, instead of being in jail is threatening to sue Shri L.K. Advani, Shri Jaswant Singh and Shri George Fernandes for defamation. This is the worst type of cover up attempt.
It is the duty of the Opposition to expose corruption and wrongdoing in the government. We have carried out this duty by appending voluminous documentary information available in the presentation made by NDA leaders on March 21. Why has the government has maintained a deafening silence over the main issues raised by us?
The BJP demands that the UPA government, instead of hiding behind the giver and arranger of kickbacks in the Scorpene scandal, come clean before the Nation on the following questions:
1. In every case of leak, there is a denewala (provider) and a lenewala (taker) of information. In the Navy’s War Room Leak, which was first detected as far back as May 2005, the government has already summarily dismissed three Navy officers for providing the information to unauthorized persons. Strangely, even after 10 long months, the government has not even interrogated, leave alone arrested, a single civilian who received the leaked information. Why?
2. Why hasn’t it even named a single civilian involved in the “War Room Leak”? Why is it silent about the questionable role of Ravi Shankaran, nephew of the wife of the Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, and a close associate of Abhishek Verma? Why is it silent about Kulbhushan Parashar, another close associate of Abhishek Verma, whose name figures prominently in the “War Room Leak”? Why hasn’t it questioned Verma himself even once?
3. Why has the Defense Minister not explained the glaring contradiction between his view and the view of the Navy in the nature of the leak? The Navy, in its March 1 affidavit before the Delhi High Court, in reply to a petition filed by one of the dismissed officers, has clearly stated that the leaked information was “prejudicial to the interests of the State and undermining the security of the Nation.” But Shri Mukherjee treats it as mere “commercial information”, and has claimed that receiving it is not a crime. It is obvious therefore that the government is protecting the civilian recipients of highly sensitive information from the Navy’s War Room.
4. The Navy’s affidavit has also affirmed that certain “foreigners” are involved in the “War Room Leak”. Why has the government not named these foreigners? Why hasn’t it taken any action against them so far?
5. Both Thales and Verma have claimed that the emails exchanged between them are “fake” and “fabricated”. The claim of innocence is only to be expected of them. But instead of accepting the claims of the accused at face value, why isn’t government discharging its own duty to find out whether the emails are fake or genuine. The BJP would like to remind the government that fabrication of emails is a crime under India’s strict cyber laws. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to immediately initiate an investigation whenever somebody says that he is a victim of emails forged in his name.
6. Why is the government silent on information provided by us on the money trail between Thales and Abhishek Verma?
In response to the demands raised by the NDA in this regard, Defense Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee made a statement in Parliament on March 22, which was a masterpiece in obfuscation and escapism. He took shelter behind the claim of the French company Thales, which is a black listed company world over for bribing political leaders to win contracts. Now, strangely, it is hiding behind the other accused – chief middleman Abhishek Verma – to fire at the opposition.
It is irony that Mr. Verma who was booked for having fake passport and many other crimes, instead of being in jail is threatening to sue Shri L.K. Advani, Shri Jaswant Singh and Shri George Fernandes for defamation. This is the worst type of cover up attempt.
It is the duty of the Opposition to expose corruption and wrongdoing in the government. We have carried out this duty by appending voluminous documentary information available in the presentation made by NDA leaders on March 21. Why has the government has maintained a deafening silence over the main issues raised by us?
The BJP demands that the UPA government, instead of hiding behind the giver and arranger of kickbacks in the Scorpene scandal, come clean before the Nation on the following questions:
1. In every case of leak, there is a denewala (provider) and a lenewala (taker) of information. In the Navy’s War Room Leak, which was first detected as far back as May 2005, the government has already summarily dismissed three Navy officers for providing the information to unauthorized persons. Strangely, even after 10 long months, the government has not even interrogated, leave alone arrested, a single civilian who received the leaked information. Why?
2. Why hasn’t it even named a single civilian involved in the “War Room Leak”? Why is it silent about the questionable role of Ravi Shankaran, nephew of the wife of the Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, and a close associate of Abhishek Verma? Why is it silent about Kulbhushan Parashar, another close associate of Abhishek Verma, whose name figures prominently in the “War Room Leak”? Why hasn’t it questioned Verma himself even once?
3. Why has the Defense Minister not explained the glaring contradiction between his view and the view of the Navy in the nature of the leak? The Navy, in its March 1 affidavit before the Delhi High Court, in reply to a petition filed by one of the dismissed officers, has clearly stated that the leaked information was “prejudicial to the interests of the State and undermining the security of the Nation.” But Shri Mukherjee treats it as mere “commercial information”, and has claimed that receiving it is not a crime. It is obvious therefore that the government is protecting the civilian recipients of highly sensitive information from the Navy’s War Room.
4. The Navy’s affidavit has also affirmed that certain “foreigners” are involved in the “War Room Leak”. Why has the government not named these foreigners? Why hasn’t it taken any action against them so far?
5. Both Thales and Verma have claimed that the emails exchanged between them are “fake” and “fabricated”. The claim of innocence is only to be expected of them. But instead of accepting the claims of the accused at face value, why isn’t government discharging its own duty to find out whether the emails are fake or genuine. The BJP would like to remind the government that fabrication of emails is a crime under India’s strict cyber laws. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to immediately initiate an investigation whenever somebody says that he is a victim of emails forged in his name.
6. Why is the government silent on information provided by us on the money trail between Thales and Abhishek Verma?
(Shyam Jaju)
Office Incharge
Office Incharge
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