Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he had extended support to the UPA Government during the July 2008 trust vote on his own and not at the bidding of Rahul Gandhi but felt the allegations of bribes to MPs at that time could be probed.
“I don’t believe that somebody of this stature...of the Prime Minister or Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi would ever sanction any sort of system of buying votes but what happened I think needs to be gone into,” Mr. Omar tweeted.
Mr. Omar recalled that it was not Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi who approached him for his party’s support during the trust vote in 2008 but it was he, who “got in touch”, with Mr. Gandhi.
“I had conversations that I recall at least, with the Prime Minister at that time. I don’t specifically recall a conversation with Rahul (Gandhi) where he solicited the support of the National Conference.
“In fact I, if I remember correctly, I got in touch with Rahul and asked him how the process was going and if there was any way in which we could help because I am a firm believer that India needed to secure this deal to improve its energy position...,” Mr. Omar told reporters.
According to the WikiLeaks cable, Captain Satish Sharma had said that Rahul Gandhi was “personally working Omar (Abdullah).”
“And my thoughts, what I believed, is what I stated in my speech in Parliament on 22nd July during that crucial vote.
So I honestly don’t recall Rahul calling me or asking me for support.
“I do remember a couple of conversations with the Prime Minister during which I myself assured him that the National Conference is supportive of this bill of this nuclear deal and that we would be happy to vote along with the government,” he said.
