Cash for vote scam: middleman names Ahmed Patel

An alleged middleman in the cash-for-votes controversy related to the 2008 trust vote today said Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh was the “main” man behind the scandal and also accused Ahmed Patel and other Congress leaders of involvement.

“I have nothing to hide, Amar Singh has the main role in this,” Suhail Hindustani told reporters Wednesday after being questioned by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.

“Amar Singh had used Ahmed Patel in all this. Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel were working together and I helped them. There is nothing left in this case, it’s crystal clear,” he said.

“Ahmed Patel called me, big leaders of Congress called me, people close to (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh called me,” he further said.

“Do my narco test, do Amar Singh’s narco test, if possible do Manmohan Singh’s narco test,” he said.

The questioning of Hindustani came a few days after Amar Singh’s former aide Sanjeev Saxena was arrested by Delhi Police.

Saxena is alleged to have tried to bribe BJP MPs Ashok Argal, Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste into voting for the Manmohan Singh government in the 2008 trial of strength over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Bags filled with currency notes were shown in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2008, minutes before a trust vote was to take place.

Hindustani was called to the Crime Branch office this morning for questioning, where he appeared with supporters and a bouquet of flowers for the senior official questioning him.

In 2008, three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs – Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora – stunned the nation by brandishing wads of cash in the Lok Sabha shortly before the Manmohan Singh government was to face the trust vote July 22 evening.

The BJP MPs had alleged that they were bribed to abstain during the July 22 trust vote.