Congress reacts to Alva’s revelations

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday dubbed the revelations coming out in veteran Congress leader Margaret Alva’s book as ‘tools’ used to market her book, wondering why enlightenment dawned on her after decades of long political career.

“We live in the new age of marketing. To sell a book, many things are needed to be said and many things are actually said or made to be said, which compromise with history and economical with truth, or a new found definition of facts.”

“The important issue that surprises all of us is why does this enlightenment come after 30 years of continuation in office and a long political career”, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

He, however, said he “leaves it to the inner wisdom and call of conscience of the person stating the facts as also to the innate wisdom of the friends in media who have seen such instances in the past. We do not believe that there is any more need to comment on the Book more than this”, the Congress leader said.

Alva today said she was pained to see attempts to create controversies over her book ‘Courage and Commitment’, asserting she has not attacked party chief Sonia Gandhi in it.

The decision by then Narasimha Rao government to appeal against a Delhi High court order quashing the Bofors case linking Rajiv Gandhi had deepened Sonia Gandhi’s suspicion over Rao, escalating friction between the two, Alva said in her book.

In her book, which is an account of her chequered political life, she said following the decision, she was asked by a furious Sonia whether Rao wanted to send her to jail.

Meanwhile, Surjewala in reply to another question favoured registering a case against any individual or organisation that does anti-India work and asked both central and state governments to act stringently against such people or bodies.

On the question of Haryana chief minister buying a luxury car, he said what is most surprising and shocking to not only all ‘Haryanavis’ but the entire country was that while Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar sought to purchase a vehicle - Land Cruiser of Rs 1.5 crore out of public exchequer’s funds.

He has the audacity to feign complete ignorance. When a Chief Minister says he is not even a party to purchase of vehicle for his security, what would be the state of governance in that State?, he asked.

A Chief Minister who swears day in day out, and BJP who swears day in day out, to end VIP culture and simplicity in public life, when he uses public exchequer’s money for such ostentatious objects of luxury, then it is for people to judge the conduct of such a Chief Minister as also the Government, he added.

PTI