Accused getting bail, whistleblowers still in jail: BJP

With cash-for-vote accused Amar Singh granted bail in the scam, BJP today lamented that while those charged with bribery in the case are getting out of jail, the whistleblowers are still behind bars. “All those who have been accused of bribery in a scam which really impacted Indian  democracy, i.e. the vote of confidence won by bribery, seem to be foremost in getting relief from courts,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said. He maintained that it was a “sad commentary” on the state of things and will deter people from exposing graft. [caption id=“attachment_116203” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Amar Singh is admitted at AIIMS in New Delhi. Reuters”]  [/caption] “The whistleblowers who did not pocket the money, and who received the money and immediately went to Parliament and exposed the crime are languishing in jail,” Jaitley said. He claimed that this will discourage people from exposing corruption in future. Amar Singh was granted bail by the High Court in the cash-for-vote scam on health grounds. BJP leader L K Advani’s former close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former party MPs- Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste- are still in jail in the same case. The party maintains that they had acted as whistleblowers and exposed attempts to buy MPs to win the July 22, 2008 Trust Vote. Advani had said on the last day of the recently concluded Monsoon session of Parliament that if the two MPs and Kulkarni are guilty then he is even more guilty as he- in his capacity as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha- had allowed them to go ahead with the sting operation. Advani has also credited these arrests for prompting him to take out his on-going yatra. PTI