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Pratibha Patil fails to impress Arun Shourie

Mere technicalities cannot absolve Patil of responsibility for the questionable activities of the bank and sugar mill she set up, feels Arun Shourie, BJP MP in RS.

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The Rajya Sabha MP says technicalities cannot absolve Patil of irregularities

NEW DELHI: Mere technicalities cannot absolve Pratibha Patil of responsibility for the questionable activities of the bank and sugar mill she set up, feels Arun Shourie, BJP Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, who recently authored two articles published as a booklet titled Does This Tainted Person Deserve to Become President of India?'

She has "constructive responsibility'', Shourie said, referring to a term used by the SR Das Commission of Inquiry in 1963 to nail late Punjab Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon when he tried to wriggle out of a land scandal involving his sons. Kairon resigned after the commission submitted its report.

“The case (against Patil) is similar. The Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank was established in her name. A resolution adopted in the year 2002 said she will appoint the board of directors. Loans were given to her relatives and waived by the bank. And she says she doesn't know anything? She can't disown constructive responsibility,'' Shourie exclaimed.

He said the bank and sugar mill are listed as achievements in her bio data as Rajasthan Governor. “There is no mention that she has resigned or is no longer associated with them. Are we going to use technicalities to defend the President of India?: he asked.

While agreeing that as the law stands today, there is no legal hurdle in Patil's run for the post of President, Shourie emphasised the need to change this. "Abu Salem is not a convicted criminal, is he? Nor is Dawood Ibrahim. Does this mean they can stand for President? What is the Congress bringing us down to?''

He described Patil as "the pious face for small local racketeers''. Her candidature, he said, was "a powerful announcement that even the President of India can be a mediocre person''.

The Congress party's defence has been that there are no charges against Patil in any of the ongoing cases against the bank and sugar mill named after her. The party's argument has been that the cases are against the institutions and she cannot be held responsible.

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