leaking army reports amounts to treason: Venkaiah

• Demands action against those behind ‘selective leaks’
• Says Cabinet’s ordinance to protect tainted lawmakers

Hyderabad: Terming the act of ‘selective leaks’ of Indian Army reports as ‘treason’, former BJP national president M Venkaiah Naidu demanded that the government bring to book those who were behind the leaks.

Speaking to media persons, here on Thursday he said that the government, to suit its narrow political ends, leaked out select documents with ill-intentions and to disrepute the former army chief VK Singh for sharing dais with BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Holding the government responsible for the leaks, he said that it was acting against the national interest. “It has acted on narrow political interest in exposing covert intelligence operations in Jammu and Kashmir”, the BJP MP said.

He recalled how the IB was troubled by government in Ishrat Jahan’s case, during the CBI investigation. “At least now the responsibility should be fixed and the government should act upon the people involved”, Venkaiah said.

In reaction to the reports that Baba Ramdev was detained at Heathrow Airport in London for eight hours, he condemned the act of the authorities for holding the spiritual guru. Such grueling detention is conducted on terrorists on whom a red corner notice is issued, he said, adding that BJP would be demanding an explanation from the Foreign Ministry for Baba Ramdev being subjected to such humiliation.

Responding to the Union Cabinet’s decision to pass an Ordinance, which would allow the tainted law makers to retain their seats, he termed it as ‘constitutional immorality’. This, he said, runs contrary to the overwhelming public sentiment for banning criminals from political arena.

According to him, this was brazen attempt by the Congress leadership to protect the tainted on whose support the government was surviving. “It is clear that the ordinance was rushed through for political purpose to bail out the convicted Congress MPs, in particular Lalu Prasad Yadav whose case is due for judgment”, he said.

As this ordinance was being promulgated with the sole object of ‘nullifying’ the Supreme Court judgement, BJP strongly opposes this move and would not allow it to be passed when it comes to Parliament, he said adding that the party will also urge the President Pranab Mukherjee not to sign the ordinance.

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s ruling that Aadhar number was not mandatory for a citizen to avail services, he questioned the need of it, when there were existing methods of identification. The project raises questions on the issues of security and data privacy. It has also failed to distinguish between citizen and illegal migrants, he pointed out. Venkaiah Naidu observed that since the project was launched at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore there could be some ‘ulterior motive’. “They are guilty of wasting massive public funds. I have always said that Aadhaar is not going to get janadhar for Congress and finally it will end up niradhar”, the BJP leader exuded.

Condemning the Prime Minister’s proposed meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, he said that when this neighbour was testing the patience of Indians by terrorist attacks, infiltration and beheading of Army jawans, the relations between two countries cannot be normal. “Terror and talks cannot go together”, he quipped.

Answering to a question, he ruled out alliance with other political parties in the State. “We shall be fielding candidates in 42 Parliament and 294 Assembly constituencies in the General Elections”, the leader emphasized.

He brushed aside the reports of differences between Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and senior leader LK Advani. “Advani is the tallest leader. Modi received blessings from him and those pictures have already come in media”, he noted.