New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has refused to meet India Against Corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, saying he has prior appointments. While Kejriwal had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to seek action against Law Minister Salman Khurshid, the PMO says his appointments have already been fixed for the day.
Kejriwal is keeping up the pressure on the UPA. He and a group of differently-abled people will stage a protest at the Prime Minister's 7 Race Course Road residence. They are demanding action against Law Minister Salman Khurshid for alleged malpractices by his UP-based NGO that deals with the differently-abled.
Earlier this week, a Hindi news channel had alleged that an NGO run by Khurshid and his wife Louise Khurshid, had misappropriated funds meant for the differently-abled by forging signatures. Both the minister and his wife have denied the charges.
Kejriwal had on Wednesday announced that he will join the disabled people in gheroing Sonia Gandhi's residence but on Thursday his aides said there were changes in their plan after discussions with the differently-abled activists and instead they will march to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence. "On Friday, the differently-abled people will march towards 7, RCR, the official residence of the Prime Minister. The earlier plans have been changed," a member of Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption said. Kejriwal had also tweeted about plans to gherao Gandhi's residence.
Meanwhile, Salman Khurshid is planning to drag social activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal to the court. The Congress on Wednesday had refrained from commenting on the allegation by India Against Corruption about financial irregularities in the functioning of Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust run by Salman Khurshid. Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary merely said the minister's wife Louise had issued a statement saying that she had herself requested Uttar Pradesh government last month to probe the matter so that the issue is categorically put to rest.
Louise, also the Trust's Project Director, rejected the allegation that the NGO run by them indulged in financial irregularities in grants given by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to the trust for the welfare of physically impaired people.
In a two-page press release, Louise termed the charges as "devoid of merit, false, malicious and baseless". She said she had herself requested the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on September 17 to conduct an inquiry so that the truth is revealed and it is established that the trust has not forged signatures of any officer.
(With additional information from PTI)
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