BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad, MP, questioned the motives behind suspended Gujarat-cadre IAS officer Pradeep Sharma levelling allegations that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi used State machinery to “snoop” on a woman.
“The petition filed by him against Narendra bhai Modi...is similar to another one filed in the Supreme Court in 2011 and it had the same allegations as this one,” said Mr. Prasad, talking to journalists here.
“In 2011, he withdrew his petition...so why is he repeating the same allegations now?” asked the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
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Mr. Prasad produced a copy of the Supreme Court order which stated that senior lawyer Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Mr. Sharma, had withdrawn the petition from the Supreme Court.
“Mr. Colin Gonsalves, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, states that he does not wish to retain the averment made...in its present form...in this connection. He states that he will file a supplementary petition making suitable amendments to those averments which tend to cast an unintended and wrong information in their present form,” read the order of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice R.M.Lodha, issued 11th May 2011.
Mr. Prasad also attacked Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for his “assurances of looking into the matter.”
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“It is surprising that this is a matter concerning Gujarat...and yet the Union Home Minister has said they are looking into it...on what basis are they looking into it,” he asked.
“There is a strong wave in favour of BJP and against the Congress in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pardesh, Delhi and Rajasthan...and the Congress leaders don't have anything to say against Narendra bhai Modi...so out of frustration, they have opened a dirty tricks department [to make baseless allegations],” he said.