rediff.com: I haven't compromised my office's dignity: Sinha

In the eye of a storm over the allegations of taking help from a tainted company for his election campaign, Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday asserted that he has not compromised the dignity of his office and ruled out any conflict of interest between his role as finance minister and the CBI probe into the bribery case against Flex Industries.

Finance Minister Yashwanta Sinha. Photo: Reuters

Three days after a newspaper carried a report suggesting a conflict of interest in the light of Flex Industries despatching printed campaign material for his 1999 Lok Sabha election, he admitted placing orders on Flex Industries, which is also in business of printing, and paid Rs 45,583 on five regular bills raised by the company.

"I would like to state categorically that neither my dignity as a Member of Parliament nor my effectiveness as minister of finance stands compromised as a result of this entirely routine, transparent and above board transaction," Sinha said in a statement in both Houses of Parliament.

He dismissed allegations that he had a role in investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case involving Flex chief Ashok Chaturvedi and chief excise commissioner Someshwar Mishra or in the transfer of either revenue or CBI officials probing it.

Dissatisfied with his explanation, members of Congress and the Left parties walked out of the Lok Sabha, while Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav stood in support of Sinha saying all parties took donations for elections and had some kind of links with business houses.

"The fact that I purchased some election publicity material from a supplier can, by no stretch of imagination, be construed as my having a relationship with him. I cannot also be expected to guarantee his good character and good conduct forever," Sinha said.

The minister's statement came in response to a demand made by Congress member Pawan Kumar Bansal on his "so-called" links with Chaturvedi.

Giving details, he said the printed materials were despatched to him at Hazaribagh by rail. For the supplies received from Flex Industries, as indeed from other printers, regular bills were submitted by these firms and full payment was made to them.

"My records reveal for the supplies received from Flex Industries, they had submitted five bills amounting to Rs 45,583. This amount was duly incorporated in my statutory return on election expenses filed with the district election officer of the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency.

"These records should be available with the Election Commission and the DEO," he said.

Sinha said raids on the office of the then chief commissioner of excise Someshwar Mishra were conducted by CBI on November 7 last year after, which Mishra and Chaturvedi were taken into custody.

Sinha said the investigation into the matter is being conducted by the CBI, which did not fall within the area of "my ministerial responsibility."

"The CBI is neither required to report to me nor has it kept me updated on the progress of the case from time to time. There is, therefore, no conflict of interest between my present assignment and the investigation by the CBI in the case against Mishra and Chaturvedi," he said.

The finance minister said that Kailash Sethi, the then deputy director general of central economic intelligence bureau, had been on deputation to this organisation from department of customs and central excise.

His transfer back to the parent department in December last year was done on administrative considerations and in public interest, he said.

"I would also like to add that I had nothing at all to do with the transfer of M S Bali of CBI as alleged by Bansal," he said.

The Chair in the Rajya Sabha rejected vociferous demands of the opposition to be allowed to seek clarifications on Sinha's statement.

After 10 minutes of procedural wrangling, Vice-Chairman Suresh Pachauri ruled that Sinha was only giving a "personal explanation" that did not warrant clarfications.

As senior Congress leader Arjun Singh, who had raised the issue on Monday, rose to seek a clarification after the minister's statement, the treasury benches opposed the move.

"It is a petty matter and did not require any clarification," said Bharatiya Janata Party member Sanghpriya Gautam.



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