Sahara case: Congress demands challenge of Settlement Comm order

Keeping up the heat on the charges of "personal corruption" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Friday demanded the Income Tax Department challenge the Settlement Commission's "unprecedented" order in the so-called Sahara diaries case.

"If they have any semblance of propriety and shame, they must, they should and they are entitled to under the Statute to challenge the order of the Settlement Commission because it is unprecedented, we demand that," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

Picking holes in the Settlement Commission's order, Singhvi, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, said there has been a "complete acceptance" of every Sahara contention without getting that report from the I-T, coupled with blanket immunity from prosecution and penalty as well.

"I only wish that the Settlement Commission and the Government of India acted so generously against every other litigant with far better case," he said.

Wondering over the "remarkably supersonic speed" with which the Commission decided the matter, he said that while the Settlement Commission directs the I-T to give a report within 90 days, the provision was "not even invoked, not even used" in the case.

Last week, the Supreme Court had rejected a plea for a court-monitored SIT probe into allegations of bribe being paid to Modi when he was chief minister of Gujarat.

Also, Singhvi was critical of the Centre, the BJP and the party's government in Madhya Pradesh for not launching even a police inquiry into the Rs 500 crore "havala issue" unearthed by IPS Officer Gaurav Tiwari.

He alleged links of Madhya Pradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak and state BJP chief Harsh Singh in the havala issue.

"No resignation, no removal and no punishment" in the case, he said accusing the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and the BJP of "eloquent silence" despite several Opposition questions.