Allegations scurrilous: Brajesh Mishra

By Harish Khare

NEW DELHI, JAN. 6. The J. K. Jain campaign against the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, and his Principal Secretary, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, achieved its purpose of provoking a response today.

Mr. Mishra issued a statement, denying the allegations by Dr. Jain and his television channel, Jain TV, and terming them ``scurrilous and aimed at character-assassination.''

Dr. Jain's most serious charge is that Mr. Mishra had secured the release of a relative, Brig. Arun Mishra, from the Army on the eve of the Kargil conflict.

In his rejoinder, the Principal Secretary asserts ``I have no relative called Brig. Arun Mishra, nor have I ever met him.''

(In a separate development, Brig. Mishra, who is now Chief General Manager (vigilance), Maruti Udyog Limited, has issued a statement saying he was not in any way related to Mr. Brijesh Mishra, nor had he ever met him.

Brig. Mishra also explains that he had sought premature retirement long before the Kargil conflict broke out).

Another allegation made by Dr. Jain relates to a presumed report filed by the R&AW against Mr. Aftab Hussain Saikia, to prevent his appointment as a judge of the Gauhati High Court.

In his statement, Mr. Mishra notes that ``there was no report by R&AW in this regard. In fact, on the basis of a report by another Central intelligence agency, the objection regarding his appointment raised by a State Government on the basis of a State police report, was overruled by the Union Government. Mr. Saikia went on to become a judge of the Gauhati High Court.''

Dr. Jain had also alleged that Mr. Mishra had used his position to help his niece, Ms. Vibha Mishra, secure ``Government advertising contracts.'' But, the Principal Secretary says ``nothing can be farther from the truth. She has been running an advertising agency since 1992.

I have not used my official position so as to favour her through any out-of-turn contract. It is totally baseless to say that she has been given any Government contracts worth Rs. 10 crores.''

The entire BJP establishment finds itself embarrassed at the extent of Dr. Jain's sweeping allegations against the Prime Minister. Today, the vice-president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthy, hinted that Dr. Jain could be expelled from the BJP if the local district unit so decided.

It is learnt that once Dr. Jain, generally regarded as a protege of Mr. L. K. Advani, crossed the Rubicon and sent a legal notice to the Prime Minister and others, it was the Home Minister - with some prompting from the Law Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitely - who took the initiative to have the book thrown at him.

Dr. Jain was told to withdraw the legal notice or face disciplinary action. But the ``video doctor'' was diffident, and had to be expelled from the BJP's national executive.

It was belatedly realised that Dr. Jain was trying to create a wedge between the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, and that he had to be shown the door before he could inflict real damage.

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