Digvijay poses 27 queries; Kejriwal refuses to reply

New Delhi : Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh Saturday stepped up his attack on India Against Corruption (IAC) activist Arvind Kejirwal, asking him 27 questions.

Singh had asked Kejriwal about foreign funding of an NGO with whom he is associated and violation of service rules while he was an Indian Revenue Service officer.

Singh, who had Friday called Kejriwal a “self-serving ambitious megalomaniac with scant regard for democracy”, asked the activist why he “never raised” the issue of corruption in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In his letter to Kejriwal, Singh said that he had preached that politicians should not violate rules and regulations, “but to the best of my knowledge you have violated provisions of All India Service Rules yourself”. He also asked the activist if he would resign from the IAC and give up public life if his colleagues in the NGO were found to have been involved in irregularity.

“Now, as promised, I am sending a set of questions to you. I would be very happy if you respond to each of them with clarity and honesty, which you demand of others,” Singh said.

“Why are there no details of individual donors and corporate donors on any website of your NGOs? Is it a fact that the NGO Kabir, with whom you are closely associated, received $172,000 in 2005 and $197,000 in 2008 from Ford Foundation?” Singh asked

“Was this foreign money used to organise seminars, advocacy, discussions, programmes, social media campaigns and publicity material related to the issue of corruption?” asked asked.

He also sought to know Kejriwal’s “relationship with US-based NGO Avaaz, which has been funding civil disobedience movement in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria?”

“What is the logistical and other support your anti-corruption movement received from Avaaz. Is it a fact you had announced to lead a Tahrir Square like movement in Delhi?” Singh asked.

Taking on Kejriwal for his demand for resignation of Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Singh said the activist “never objected when Anna (Hazare) said that he cannot be held responsible for the action of colleagues/office-bearers in Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Trust” though the Justice Sawant Commission had concluded there were cases of misappropriation of funds.

Singh said while Kejriwal has been pressing for Jan Lokpal from the central government, he had not questioned Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, “who has successfully blocked appointment of Lokayuktas in Gujarat since 2002”.

Singh also asked Kejriwal: “Is it a fact that in your entire service of 20 years in Indian Revenue Service, you never served outside Delhi even though the norms of the service are that all IRS officers serve a posting only for three years in a place? Is it a fact that even your wife, who is also an IRS officer, has never served outside Delhi?”

“Is it a fact that any serving officer, who goes on study leave for two years with full pay has to submit a full report of his study to the government? Is it a fact that you didn’t submit a full report but only an interim report with a promise to submit a full report later, which you never did,” he asked.

He asked Kejriwal if he was transferred to Chandigarh but did not join, then sought voluntary retirement from service and even without it being approved, absented from office.

Singh asked if Kejriwal, while serving as an IRS officer, took permission from the government to receive foreign and private funds for his NGO.

“Is it a fact that you took a cheque of Rs.2 crore to Anna Hazare and he refused to accept as he felt the collection was much more? A senior member of your core committee has alleged that you have misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs.20 crore. Why you have not responded to this charge. Why have you collected funds for IAC in Parivartan/PCRF?”

He questioned Kejriwal over restoring power connection in the capital over non payment of dues and asked if it was a criminal act.

Reacting to the Singh’s letter to him, Kejriwal said it was “not worthy of a response”.

Kejriwal added that the letter “shows that the Congress is rattled and baffled”. He added that politics had come to be dominated by abuse and counter-abuse and that there was a need to make it “politics of the common man”.

He described as “totally false” Singh’s allegation that he had wanted to join the National Advisory Council.