Nirmala Sitharaman Attacks Congress Over Purported Sting Operation Video, Says Party Relies on Fake News

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking the legal route to sort the allegations levelled, said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She said that they were taking every possible advice so that institutions and individuals who are part of this conspiracy to defame BJP are taken to court.

New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday attacked the Congress over the purported sting operation video. The video was released by the Opposition through Tricolour News Network (TNN), a website-based news portal. Sitharaman said that it was the same website which broadcast Kapil Sibal’s press conference live on Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in January this year.

She went on to add that the director of this website is a Romanian and the expose on demonetisation was shown on this website– which has zero credibility. This website has been registered for only a year. Further attacking the Congress, Sitharaman added that maybe it was Congress’ plan to close it after the elections. Stating that since the Congress has adopted a conspiracy-driven election campaign, Sitharaman said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking the legal route to sort the allegations levelled.

The Defence Minister said, “I would like to state here, the BJP is taking legal advice. We’re taking every possible advice so that institutions and individuals who are part of this conspiracy to defame BJP, we will take them to the court. We will take action on them legally.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also slammed the Congress during his press conference saying the Opposition had nothing better to do that rely on ‘fake news’. “After a fake BSY Diary, a fake sting. When there are no real issues, rely on ‘fakery’….Was the creator of the London fiasco on the EVMs and the fake UPA sting today the same? Every election needs a few humorous breaks. After the London EVM fiasco, the UPA provided another one today.”

The Congress and other Opposition parties released a sting video showing an alleged BJP functionary purportedly exchanging scrapped notes on a commission of 40 per cent after demonetisation had come into effect.

On being asked about the video’s authenticity, Congress leader Kapil Sibal dismissed the same saying he cannot verify it since he’s not the owner of the video. However, anyone may verify the video as it is on the website.

“How can I verify? I am not the owner of this video. It is on the website,” Sibal said. “Anybody can verify. You have seen the conversation. You have seen the person. You have seen the person talking. You have seen the exchange. You have seen the language. You have seen the notes. Now if you still doubt it, it is for you to doubt it,” he said.

This is the same website that hosts the video uninterrupted and uncut of the press conference in London on January 21 this year which was attended by Kapil Sibal and where a US-based expert had claimed that the saffron party had hacked EVMs to win the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. The EC had dismissed all allegations.