Victim of apparent hit job, Vadodara MP Balu Shukla fights back

By our correspondent, New Delhi/Ahmedabad/Vadodara, 13 March 2013

Gujarat BJP Lok Sabha MP of Vadodara Shri Balu Shukla has in a letter asked Speaker Meira Kumar to hand over the matter regarding baseless news item published against him in largest circulated Gujarati daily to Privilege Committee of parliament.

In 11 March 2013 story published in Gujarat Samachar, it was said that Balu Shukla while waiting for Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha smt Sushma Swaraj in her office accessed some files on her table and lifted three-four pages that were about correspondence between Swaraj and Gadkari.

The news report further claimed that CCTV cameras inside Swaraj’s office captured this act, and later Swaraj scold the MP. Swaraj also spoke with Narendra Modi about this and Modi too scoled the MP.

Gujarati daily’s this story was later published in Rediff.Com in translated English version quoting Gujarat Samachar report, and Rediff Editor Sheela Bhatt tweeted: MP or spy?

Balu Shukla has in his letter to Speaker said that the news story has been published with motive to harm his image. This story has not only harmed his image but also an image of Leader of opposition Smt Sushma Swaraj, and BJP.

Balu Shukla in his letter said, the news item shows that I am a thief who stole papers from the office of leader of opposition. This remark clearly attack my character. This news passes a message that leader of opposition’s office is so lethargic that any MP can come there and without any problem he can steal letters from there. This news creates adverse image of leader of opposition’s working style. The said news is baseless and it is proven by the fact that Leader of opposition’s room has no CCTV camera!

Balu Shukla in his letter further said that the news item involves his personal conduct inside the parliament campus and therefore this is an issue of breach of privilege against the Gujarati daily. Therefore this issue should be handed over to Lok Sabha’s privilege committee.

It should be mentioned that this news item was in discussion in political and media circles in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad throughout Tuesday, but insiders were of clear opinion that this spicy story was a hit-job to tarnish the image of Balu Shukla in an attempt to stop him fighting next year’s Lok Sabha election on BJP ticket. The insiders said that more hit-jobs like this will be seen in future in media and elsewhere against more sitting MPs, as Lok Sabha election is just at one year distance.