New Delhi, Oct 13 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said that Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid has no moral right to remain in office over allegations of siphoning off funds meant for providing aid to the disabled through an NGO run by the latter and his family.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the Law Minister doing the unlawful thing is not tenable.
"It is a concrete open and shut case of forgery. The officers are on record in a sting operation, where they are saying that they have not signed these affidavits. When Law Minister heads an institution, which gives forged affidavits; he has no moral right to remain in office, he must resign," said Javadekar.
"The Law Minister doing the unlawful thing is not tenable. At least a valid suspicion is raised. He has to resign," he added.
Javadekar further alleged that the ruling Congress Party is synonym to corruption and arrogance of power.
"Their (Congress) range is from Rs. 80 to eight lakh crores. It is the Congress pattern first to reject all allegations, then impose it on others and then eventually tender resignation," he said.
Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal has demanded Law Minister Khurshid's resignation and Louise Khurshid's arrest over allegations made against the trust owned by the couple.
Salman Khurshid's wife Louise Khurshid earlier in the day dismissed the allegations levelled by Kejriwal, saying the document is not a CAG report, but an excerpt from initial internal inspection report.
Louise said the charges levelled against her trust are false and baseless.
"There is no CAG report. They are lying. I am surprised that Kejriwal being a former Income Tax Officer is not aware of the CAG report. The document is not a CAG report, but an excerpt from initial internal inspection report," said Louise.
"I have confirmed it from CAG office and the ministry. It is an initial audit report," she added.
Louise said that there is no ground for making allegations against the trust.
"We haven't forged signatures on the documents. We have not done any fraud. The CAG has not even questioned us. The CAG has told me there is no report against the trust. We are ready to give accounts of expenses. We are ready for full examination of all allegations," she said.
Louise said that she has filed a defamation case over the allegations made against the thrust.
Hindi news channel 'Aaj Tak' had earlier alleged that an NGO run by Salman Khurshid and his wife Louise Khurshid had misappropriated funds meant for the differently-abled by forging signatures.
The Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by Salman Khurshid, has come under the scanner after a TV channel exposed a scam to the tune of Rs 71 lakh.
According to Aaj Tak report, the Union Ministry for Social Welfare and Empowerment had granted Rs 71.50 lakh to the trust for distributing tricycles and hearing aids to the disabled in 17 districts of U.P.
Salman Khurshid is the president of the Trust, while his wife Louise Khurshid is the project director. (ANI)
