Ananth Kumar has no Radia link, says wife

BANGALORE, INDIA: Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, wife of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former civil aviation minister H.N. Ananth Kumar, on Monday dismissed as "baseless and politically motivated" charges linking him to corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

"The Congress cannot fool the people by making baseless charges," Tejaswini, who runs a non-governmental organization called Adamya Chetana Trust, told reporters here.

She accused the Congress of targeting BJP leaders to divert focus from the 2G spectrum allocation and Commonwealth Games scandals.

"The Congress has resorted to attack my husband as he is in the forefront demanding a joint parliamentary probe into the 2G spectrum scandal," Tejaswini said.

Her NGO works "to create sustainable, replicable models for social betterment of the underprivileged and to develop a sense of appreciation of the Indian culture and value system among the younger generation".

A former colleague of Radia has claimed in TV interviews that Ananth Kumar had passed on classified cabinet decisions to her.

Despite denials by the BJP and Ananth Kumar's wife, the Congress kept up its demand for immediate resignation of the BJP leader from the Lok Sabha.

State Congress spokesperson G.C. Chandrashekar told reporters here that Ananth Kumar had not given proper clarification on his dealings with Radia.

"Ananth Kumar should quit till his name is cleared," Chandrashekhar said.

Earlier, the BJP had demanded an apology from the Congress for levelling "baseless allegations" that BJP leaders were involved in the 2G spectrum scandal and had links with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

"Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress party has levelled baseless allegations on L.K. Advani that he went for the foundation laying ceremony of Radia's trust and that that land was given by the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in Lucknow.

"That land was of the Pejawar Swamy trust and it was given by the P.V. Narasimha Rao government (of the Congress). So we demand an apology from the Congress party," he said.

The Congress lost no time in hitting back and party spokesperson Manish Tewary said that the BJP cannot "run away" from its links with Radia.

"The allegations which have been levelled are extremely great (sic). And the BJP cannot run away from its links with Niira Radia," Tewary told reporters in New Delhi.