Interview: I didn't do anything wrong

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi is in the dock for more than one reason. He is accused of offering a bribe to some of the newly-elected BJP legilsators to break away from the party, which he stoutly denies.

Jogi flew into Delhi yesterday morning, but party president Sonia Ganhi had refused to meet him. Jogi was sitting alone in Chhattisgarh Bhavan without any friends around him. In an interview with Gulf News, Jogi, tried to explain his party's defeat, disciplinary action against him, and the alleged role of his son in the Judeo tapes episode. Excerpts:

GULF NEWS: Do you feel hurt that the Congress Party leaders have suspended you without giving you an opportunity to explain yourself?
JOGI: Suspensions in the Congress Party have always happened this way –- at midnight, and without hearing the other side. This is a political party and not the government. You cannot expect bureaucratic rules to be followed, where no suspension order cannot be passed without hearing the explanation of the concerned person. The suspensions of V.P. Singh. Arun Nehru, Arif Mohammed Khan, Arjun Singh, Vidya Charan Shukla have all happened in a similar way. I have seen them all.

Does it mean that like them that you too would walk out the party?
I am a Congressman, and I will remain one.

Are you here to meet party president Sonia?
I will meet members of the disciplinary panel, and meet her only later.

What do you think is the reason for your suspension?
I gave a letter on my official letter-head, offering support to the rebel BJP legilsators. I tried to contact the party leaders in Delhi, but I could not get them because they were all in meetings. That was a mistake.

Was it right to have used the official letter-head after losing an election?
I was still the chief minister and leader of the assembly on Saturday. So, I wrote the letter offering support to the rebels in that capacity.

When you have lost an election, why did you want to break the other side?
I did not try to break the other side. The majority of the people in Chhattisgrah are tribals, but the BJP elected a non-tribal as the chief minister. So, the BJP tribal and scheduled caste legislators were unhappy. This was told to me by Dr Kunta, the BJP member of parliament who resigned his seat in Lok Sabha and joined the Congress Party. I trusted him completely.

Do you think that was a trap that the BJP has set for you?
It is possible. But more than me, the BJP leaders were angry with Dr Kunte, and it appears that they have set a trap for him.

Did you offer money to the other side?
Where was the need to offer the money. I was not trying to become a chief minister again. Yes, I felt unhappy that the tribals and the scheduled castes were being neglected by the BJP. There was immense dissatisfaction inside the BJP. There was no need for me to do anything. The dissension would have come out into the open in a few weeks' time.

What about Judeo tapes? Why is there so much secrecy about those who have carried out the sting operation? Why are they not taking credit for it as Tehelka did with their sting operation?
The truth is that Judeo was seen accepting the money on camera. The question as to who carried out the sting operation is immaterial. Yes. The people who have carried it out should take credit for it.