Corruption Watch

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Cong tries to hush up Malhotra connection </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi 
Embarrassed by Delhi Congress' petty politicking and rivalries coming out in the open, the party high command on Monday tried to hush up the matter by reprimanding both the sides and denied that land scam accused Ashok Malhotra's episode was an attempt to topple Sheila Dikshit Government in the Capital.

<b>According to Congress sources, the party high command has been very upset with various rumours triggered by State Congress leaders about the politicial implication of Malhotra episode. </b>

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Delhi Ashok Gehlot also held parleys with Delhi leaders. Sources said that both the sides were reprimanded and told not to wash their dirty linen in public.

The camps have been told to work together and portray a united front in public. Sources said that Dikshit was asked to formally deny the conspiracy theory of an attempt to topple her Government.

<b>As a face-saver, the Congress formally denied all charges levelled by both the camps in the mud-slinging match played over the last three days. </b>

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "Individual criminality (of Ashok Malhotra) has nothing to do with the Congress party."

Talking about allegations that Malhotra had been roped in as a financer to help topple the Congress Government in Delhi, Singhvi said: "This allegation is just the work of an idle and overactive mind. We have talked to Delhi Chief Minister and she has confirmed that nothing of this sort has happened and has said that none of the MLAs think so."

Singhvi blamed the entire controversy on "certain elements" trying to divert attention from the real land scam case. He said: "There is not even an iota of evidence on that conspiracy theory... These are nothing but techniques to divert attention from the investigation of land scam."

<b>When asked about the involvement of Congress MLAs in recommending Malhotra's cars for allotment of fancy numbers, </b>Singhvi said: "There might have been some impropriety in allotment of some numbers here and there. But it is not fair to assign the entire criminality of the accused (Ashok Malhotra in land scam) to these individuals. It is not fair to say that these people were also responsible for the land scam. Where is the logic in this?"
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