Ernakulam: Former MP Sebastian Paul has raised serious allegation against former President Pranab Mukherjee, claiming the latter offered him Rs 25 crore to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.
Paul had served as a Left-supported independent MP during the UPA-I government. He has alleged that Mukherjee offered him Rs 25 crore to vote in UPA government's favour in the no-confidence motion in 2008, which took place after the Left Front withdrew its support in protest against the Indo-US nuclear agreement.
In an interview with a Malayalam weekly, Paul claimed the offer was made at the end of the UPA’s term, when the government was struggling to gather adequate number of votes to survive.
Paul has further alleged that senior Congress leaders Vayalar Ravi and Ahmed Patel were also involved in the offer that was made to him. According to Paul, Mukherjee led the operation to secure votes, and representatives from his office had approached him. Next day, Union Minister Vayalar Ravi had allegedly asked Paul in the Parliament about the visitors he had the previous day.
Paul said the bribe was offered on the ground that being an independent MP, he would not be subjected to any party whip or face anti-defection penalties if he voted in favour of the government. Paul even said that several MPs were offered similar incentives, including crores of rupees, to either vote for the government or abstain from voting at that time.
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