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Former Central Bureau of Investigation director Joginder Singh, who sat through Operation Westend, an investigative film made by tehelka.com, which was screened at a city hotel on Tuesday afternoon, called for the immediate institution of a court of inquiry against defence ministry officials who accepted bribes to push through a prospective deal from Westend, a non-existent multinational company dealing in defence equipment.
"This is shocking. Court martial proceeding should begin forthwith and those who accepted money should be punished. The government should set up a commission that will act swiftly and come out with its report within a week. Before the end of March this year, all officers who have taken money should be retired. Justice should catch up with them because you cannot play with the security of the country,'' he said.
He added that the manner in which the defence minister was referred to as BC MC by junior defence officers did not give a good image the working of the defence ministry.
''We should not have a commission of the sort that is investigating the Babri case, where nothing has come out after 10 years," Singh told rediff.com.
"This is irrefutable evidence and nothing more is needed to prove that bribes are taken in defence deals," he said.
Former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh said that it was absolutely shocking that service officers were involved. He also called for punishment to all those involved in such deals.
Congress leader Anand Sharma called for the resignation of the Vajpayee Government on moral grounds.
"The revelation is shocking and damning. The onus now shifts to the government, which has to disprove what is irrefutable evidence. It compromises the security of the country. And unless or until there is a convincing rebuttal, we do not have to demand even the resignation of the government because it has lost the moral right to continue in office.''
He said, ''The Bharatiya Janata Party chief is shown accepting money. The chief of the Samata Party is shown accepting money. Money is only one component. What is shocking is that our defence deals are done like someone purchasing salt in the open market.''
He said it clearly established that defence establishments could be easily penetrated.
''What is shown here is how the security of the country is compromised. We will wait for the response of the government and then decide our course of action. Sure enough this matter will be raised in Parliament," he said.
THE LAXMAN TAPES Tehelka lifts the lid off defence deals 'I took the money for the party' Oppn demands time-bound statement on bribes TDP, Trinamul to hear out Bangaru Who is Raj Kumar Gupta? For the country, there is now reason to worry: Lt Gen (retd) Satish Nambiar It is all in the tapes. How can they deny it?: Aniruddha Bahal
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