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The Congress Tuesday expressed apprehension over the impartiality of the Venkatswami Commission probe into the tehelka.com allegation, underscoring that its terms of reference was so phrased so as to "give a clean burial to the defence scandal," according to party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy.
" The terms of reference exclude the conduct of the former Bharatiya Janata Party chief Bangaru laxman and his former Samata party counterpart Jaya Jaitly," Reddy pointed out.
He contended that the terms of reference "also precludes the examination of the blatant misuse of the former defence minister (George Fernandes') residential premises'' where illegal money changed hands.
According to Reddy, the probe precludes the scrutiny of the manner in which "all kinds of people can have easy access to the defence ministry".
"Justice Venkatswami has been asked to examine procedures and his probe does not have the necessary investigating machinery," the Congress spokesman said.
"This is a classic example of asking the wrong question with the intention of getting the wrong answer," he alleged, adding, "this inquiry will inquire more into tehelka than the scandal."
Contending that the probe contained a threat to those who "organised the sting operation," Reddy exhorted journalists to beware of the government's intention behind constituting the Venkatswami Commission.
He also criticised the government for its circular to Indian missions abroad that the Tehelka deal was fake and hence non-existent.
He took grave exception to the government's move, emphasising that it was an internal matter.
He also objected "in the manner our foreign missions are being misused to defend the ruling coalition's domestic turf abroad".
Referring to the National Democratic Alliance rally in Delhi to counter the Opposition campaign pertaining to tehelka, Reddy maintained that "our prime minister's loud anti-tehelka campaign does not carry conviction with its own coalition partners."
He was referring to the Telugu Desam Party and the Dravidra Munnetra Kazgham, which stayed away from the NDA rally in Delhi despite being coalition partners.
Noting that the "TDP and DMK had deliberately absented themselves", the Congress spokesman pointed out that "they have the capacity to do somersaults''.
He told a reporter that the Congress had no intention of initiating a no-confidence motion against the government because "we want it to go on ethical grounds and not on numerical grounds''.
On the Congress poll tie-up with the Trinamul Congress during the assembly elections in West Bengal, he said party general secretary in-charge of the state, Kamal Nath, was talking to Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee.
"So far, indications are positive and we are optimistic about an alliance with her (Mamata's) party as there has been forward movement," Reddy added.
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