Salman Khurshid
13 October 2012. The Goa unit of India Against Corruption (IAC) alleged that Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid has declared on PMO’s website the two properties owned by his wife at below market prices in the coastal village of Calangute, one of the hottest property markets in Goa. IAC also said that his family run NGO was siphoning off money meant for the physically challenged. Earlier in New Delhi, IAC activist Arvind Kejriwal demanded the arrest of Khurshid and his dismissal from the Manmohan Singh ministry over allegations of siphoning off funds meant for providing aid to the disabled through an NGO run by him and his family. Minister’s wife Louise Khurshid has rejected the charges. Defending Law Minister Salman Khurshid and his wife Louise Khurshid against charges that their NGO had siphoned off lakhs of rupees meant for the physically challenged, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari Saturday said “untruth cannot become the basis for crucifying anybody”.
Louise Khurshid
Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni came to the support of Khurshid saying he has a “reputation as a very upright and honourable political leader”. She said the charges of financial impropriety “would have a shattering effect on anybody”, and added that Khurshid, who is abroad, should be allowed to come back and “give the real picture”. Kejriwal was arrested and detained along with 150 supporters at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana on the outskirts of Delhi, and released late Friday night, but the activist and his supporters refused to leave the stadium till Saturday morning. Kejriwal, IAC members Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia and Rashtriya Viklang Party (RVP) president KK Dikshit then reached Parliament Street, where Kejriwal announced the IAC decision to sit on an indefinite protest agitation outside the police station till the government acts on their demands. According to a sting operation conducted by the TV Today Group, the union social welfare and empowerment ministry had granted Rs.71.50 lakh ($13,500) to the Khurshids’ trust for distributing tricycles and hearing aids to the disabled in 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh. While Salman Khurshid is the president of the trust, his wife is the project director. Salman Khurshid’s wife Louise Khurshid Friday filed a civil defamation case in the Delhi High Court against the TV Today Group, seeking damages of Rs.100 crore ($19 million), said court sources. Louise Khurshid on Saturday slammed Kejriwal and a television channel for alleging that their NGO — Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust — had siphoned off lakhs of rupees meant for physically challenged people and termed the charges as false. “They found only three people who said they did not get the equipment. If we had done a fraud on such a mass scale, wouldn’t they have found thousands of people (who did not get the equipment)? In 2009 and 2010 we distributed aids to 2,353 people and there are just three allegations out of the thousands,” Louise said. Watch this video – IAC protest: Noose tightens around Salman Khurshid – NewsX And this – Salman Khurshid leaves discussion in midway India Against Corruption (IAC) Goa chapter has demanded explanation from the chief minister Manohar Parrikar on know why Lokayukta search committee has not come out with names so far. Observing that the appointment of Lokayukta has been delayed on one flimsy pretext or the other, IAC Goa chapter coordinator, Valmiki Naik, said this has created a suspicion in the minds of people that such delays could be deliberate. Reiterating that she has proof of her three meetings with BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, IAC activist Anjali Damania said she will be exposing his “lies” at a joint press conference with Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on 16 October 2012.
