-Caveat Lector- [Could Clinton be going to India to teach them about about bribery/extortion/kickbacks?] <http://www.newsday.com/ap/text/topnews/ap530.htm> Indian Defense Minister Resigns by NEELESH MISRA Associated Press Writer NEW DELHI, India (AP) -- India's defense minister resigned Thursday as a corruption scandal involving a fake arms deal secretly filmed by journalists shook the government. George Fernandes, one of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's closest allies, said the allegations against him were ''completely false,'' and suggested they were meant to undermine national security and morale. ''To uphold the morale of our armed forces and prevent further damage to our national defense, I've decided to resign from government,'' Fernandes said on state-run television. The scandal erupted on Tuesday when the Tehelka.com Internet media company publicized hidden camera videos of party, military and defense ministry officials accepting money and discussing kickbacks in a sting operation. Tehelka.com said its reporters spent months pretending to be defense dealers and pushing a fake $870,000 deal for hand-held thermal cameras and other equipment. The president of Fernandes' Samata Party resigned earlier Thursday after videotapes had shown journalists, posing as arms dealers, handing over cash as they chatted with her in the defense minister's home. Railways minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that her Trinamool Congress party would withdraw from Vajpayee's 24-party coalition, but would reconsider if Fernandes resigned and an impartial investigation was opened. The party's defection would not have been enough to bring down Vajpayee's government as he would only lose nine seats in the 545-member Parliament. However, increasingly critical newspapers and former government officials had joined opposition calls for Fernandes' resignation. Vajpayee needs to hold his National Democratic Alliance together through May to survive the budget vote in Parliament, which amounts to a confidence motion. The president of Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party, Bangaru Laxman, resigned Tuesday night after Tehelka.com released videotapes of him accepting $2,175. Laxman said he gave the money to his party treasurer. Accepting money to arrange defense contracts carries a sentence of up to seven years in India. Since he came to power in March 1998, Vajpayee's government had not been accused of corruption. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
