I introduced Joshi to 2G accused: NRI businessman
24 Mar 2012
Non-resident Indian businessman Anshuman Mishra, who withdrew from the Rajya Sabha elections from Jharkhand at the last moment under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Friday claimed to have introduced Public Accounts Committee chairman Murli Manohar Joshi to senior executives of companies accused in the 2G spectrum scam.
The BJP veteran rubbished Mishra's charge, saying they "fabricated" and whatever he was saying with regard to is a "concoction", reports PTI.
Mishra, who was supported by a section of the BJP as a Rajya Sabha nominee, dropped out following a directive from the BJP central leadership to its MLAs not to vote for him.
In an interview to a news channel, Mishra claimed that he was BJP's fund-raiser for over a decade. He also said that Joshi called him seeking funds for elections. Mishra claimed to have played a role in Joshi's poll campaign in 2004 and 2009.
Reacting to the development, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who is also a member of the PAC, said that Joshi will have to explain the allegations "threadbare" as it is not an attack on an individual but on the chairperson of an important parliamentary committee.
The NRI businessman alleged that Joshi as PAC chairman had held secret meetings with 2G beneficiaries in his presence. ''If he openly denies this I'm ready for any probe ... I don't know whether it was quid pro quo or just to get briefed about the 2G scam. But he met few very senior functionaries of these companies," he said.
