The BSP Member of Parliament Raja Ram Pal was regularly writing to the Prime Minister pointing

The BSP Member of Parliament Raja Ram Pal was regularly writing to the Prime Minister pointing out certain glaring instances of irregularities in the government departments. But they did not elicit any positive response. Was he deliberately implicated for exposing corruption? Pawan Kumar Bansal did not even mention this letter in his report?

In this letter reproduced here, Raja Ram Pal speaks of the letter he wrote to the Prime Minister´s Office about the corrupt practices of Power Ministry officials. Produced below is the English translation of the letter written by him to Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, the then chairman of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, set up to investigate into the MPs´ ?cash for question´ episode, which the Bansal Committee mysteriously did not even mention in its report. Later, Shri Bansal was found accused in a scam and he himself had to resign from the Committee. Now he is a Minister in Dr Manmohan Singh government.

Date: December 18, 2005

To,
Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal
Chairman, Parliamentary Inquiry Committee
Room No. 62, Parliament House, New Delhi-110001

Subject: Clarification regarding the videotapes shown by Aaj Tak

Sir,
I had written a letter to Hon. Prime Minister and Home Minister on April 12, 2005 itself concerning the corrupt practices of Secretary, Minister of Power and the appointment of CMD, NHPC (photocopy of the letter and its acknowledgement is enclosed herewith). On April 20, 2005, Shri S.C. Sharma who was then CMD of NEEPCO and also a candidate for the post of Chairman-Assistant Managing Director, along with one of his staffers, Mr Acharya, came to my residence 199, North Avenue and showing me the photocopy of the above mentioned letter told me to withdraw the letter. He told me to just give in writing that the letter had not been issued with my due signature and he would give me the reward whatever I ask for. He also presented me a diary and a calendar of NEEPCO for the year 2005. When I refused to comply, he said that he also belonged to Uttar Pradesh and could give me the befitting reply at an appropriate time.

Soon after this incident on April 26, 2005 as has been shown in the CD, a lady named as Namita Malhotra, came to me for raising certain questions in Parliament and gave me some documents of questions. I told her to first examine them and asked for an appropriate time. But her behaviour developed some doubts in my mind. Therefore, I deputed a boy Ravindra Kumar, who is not my PA, to keep a tab on her.

Again on July 17, 2005, I wrote a letter to Hon. Prime Minister as a reminder of my letter dated April 12, 2005 with which I also enclosed a photocopy of the letter by CVC recommending to the Ministry of Power a CBI inquiry against S.C. Sharma (photocopy enclosed). After one week of writing this letter, S.C. Sharma phoned at my residence 199, North Avenue and said that Mr MP you write as many letters against him as I wish, nothing would happen, but he would not leave me. After this phone of Sharma I got scared and again on August 11, 2005 wrote a letter to Prime Minister in which I referred to all my previous letters related to Shri R.V. Shahi, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Shri S.C. Sharma, Chairman and Assistant Managing Director of NEEPCO (acknowledgment of the letter is enclosed). Right after one week on August 18, 2005, as has been shown in the CD also, the same lady (Namita Malhotra) came to my residence at 199, North Avenue and asked about the non-appearance of her questions. The questions that she had given me for raising in Parliament and whom I did not put up, had already come to me after rejection from question branch as somebody had sent them there with my forged signature, which has been shown in the CD also.

When I asked the lady for whom she worked and get me introduced with the officers of her company, failing which I threatened her to get an FIR registered against her, she got scared and went back telling me to introduce the office-bearers of one North Indian Small Manufacturers Association.

When no action was taken by the Prime Minister on my above mentioned letters, I raised the matter in Parliament on August 30, 2005 during zero hour and demanded to remove Shri R.V. Shahi, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India with immediate effect from his post and also an early action against Shri S.C. Sharma. But despite that, no action was taken by both the Prime Minister´s Office and the Ministry of Power. I again wrote another letter to Prime Minister on October 3, 2005 enclosing serial-wise the photocopies of all the evidences. The acknowledgement of that letter (copy of which is enclosed) was received by me on October 8, 2005. Meanwhile, that fake lady reporter came to my residence at 199, North Avenue on October 7, 2005. Shri Ravindra Kumar whom I had deputed to keep a tab on her, was also sitting with me. When she asked for a blank envelop from Ravindra, he asked her for what purpose she needed it, as has been shown in the CD also. When I entered into my office room from the other room she started showing money from that envelop, as has been shown in the CD. When I again threatened her to file an FIR, she saying to arrange a meeting of her officers with me, went back with the envelop, as was not shown in the CD. After the departure of that lady reporter, somebody phoned me at my residence 199, North Avenue that Mr Pal still you have time, you stop complaining against us. By now you must have understood that even after your complains nothing has happened to us. You better join hand with us. After that I went to my constituency.

After visiting my constituency when I returned Delhi, I started losing faith in the system of Government of India and on November 9, 2005 I wrote my last letter in strong words to the Hon. Prime Minister in which I mentioned that there have been repeated attempts to implicate me and the whole PMO is sold out. The Reliance Company is providing money through the Power Secretary and nobody is there to look for the country´s interest. If no action was taken against the Power Secretary and the CMD NEEPCO, I would be left with no other option but to go to press to make the country aware of the reality. I would also tell the country how some corrupt officers are trying to harm the government on the strength of power and money. I would not be responsible if it damages the credibility of the UPA government. Copy of that letter and also its acknowledgement are enclosed. After writing this letter, that lady informed me through telephone that office-bearers of her Association are coming to meet me at my residence at 199, North Avenue in Delhi on November 10, 2005. But in the morning of November 10, she requested me on telephone to come to Park Hotel as all office-bearers of their Association were coming there and meeting at my residence would not be safe. When I reached Park Hotel, Parliament Street on her invitation along with my friend Praduman on November 10, 2005, between 11and 12 am, I was surprised to know that there was no meeting of the Association and only one person was sitting there whom that lady introduced me as Navrattna Malhotra, executive director of North Indian Small Manufacturers Association, and also told me to sit on the sofa. I sat on the sofa and also told my friend Praduman to sit beside me. I asked for the identity card or visiting card from that person. He gave me a visiting card and also one to Shri Praduman. Keeping in view the whole situation, I continued to agree to all their proposals. When that lady started showing me some rupees I said I did not come here to take money, but to meet your office-bearers. My friend Praduman told her to keep it in her bag and come to the residence in the evening. Both Navrattna Malhotra and that lady also agreed to it. After this whole episode, I was successful in procuring at least their visiting card. All the happenings assured me that these people are working under a dirty conspiracy. I told my friend to inquire whether these people were part of the same threat that R.V. Shahi and S.C. Sharma had given to me. About 12.30 pm on the same day Shri Praduman phoned a police officer of DIG rank in Moradabad on his cell phone and requested him to inquire about the name and address mentioned in the visiting card (copy of the cell phone bill on which the call was made and also the copy of the visiting card are enclosed). In the evening no officer-bearer of the Association came to my residence. On November 12, 2005, I was sent by my party to Saharanpur where the nomination for the Nagal assembly constituency was to be filed for by-election.

In the late hours of the night of November 13, 2005 I received a call from my friend Praduman who informed me that there was no Association of Navratna Malhotra in Moradabad and the address mentioned on the visiting card was also fake. On November 14, 2005, I wrote a letter to Hon. Lok Sabha Speaker, Parliament House, New Delhi and another letter to DIG, Moradabad division, sent by the registered mail for information and also for taking cognizance (photo copies of the letter and receipt of the registered mail are enclosed). After this no phone of Namita associated with this fake association came to me.

Sir, therefore, you are requested to kindly get the above mentioned conspiracy enquired by any independent agency or any Parliamentary Committee so that the hidden forces that have tried to assassinate the character of a public representative and also tried to play with the dignity of a Member of Parliament before the country, may be exposed.

I had also informed the House on December 1, 2005, under rule 197 about the Rs 9,000 crore Naptha-Jhakari Power Project, which was sold to private hands by the corrupt officials of Power Ministry and was inaugurated by Prime Minister on May 24, 2005. But this project was closed down just after one month of the inauguration following the involvement of certain corrupt officials (photo copy enclosed). It was because of the fear of exposing that corruption, the Operation Duryodhan, which is neither in the public interest nor according to the dignity of Parliament, was telecast through Aaj Tak on December 12, 2005. Now I am completely convinced that the Members of Parliament, who raise a voice against corrupt officials, are either purchased or attempts are made to publicly assassinate their character. The 44-page annexure, enclosed with this letter, must be looked into and the deliberate attempts made by the media to assassinate my character and it must be inquired through any independent agency or any Parliamentary Committee so that the corrupt officials working to extend undue benefit to a particular industrialist empire be exposed. Sir, in this whole episode I am totally innocent and I have not done anything wrong against the dignity of a Member of Parliament.

With regards
Yours truly,
(Raja Ram Pal)