New Delhi: Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday came out with documents to rubbish charges of misappropriation of funds by a trust run by him and his wife and expressed willingness for any probe while making it clear that he has no intention to resign. Soon after his return from London, he left the decision about his continuance in the government to the Congress High Command but said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "share my experiences" with him.
Addressing a press conference which witnessed high drama and sparring between him and journalists of TV Today group, he displayed documents and photographs to show that camps were held for distribution of equipment to the disabled people. Khurshid, flanked by his wife Louise who is Project Director of the Zakir Hussain Trust, said the Uttar Pradesh government, at their behest, was already probing whether an
affidavit signed by a state government official JB Singh carried forged signatures as has been alleged.
"Nothing on Rs 71 lakh can be proved... Not a word can be proved. They can scream, scream and scream till they turn blue in their face," said the Law Minister at the one-and-a-half hour long press conference where he lost his temper a number of times and once told a journalist of TV Today group to shut up and leave.
Before the press conference, he wanted journalists from Aaj Tak and Headlines Today to be kept out but relented after other journalists said it would be inappropriate. "Let there be any inquiry by any authority. It can be CAG... Inquiry should find out who is responsible for this. But the inquiry should cover the role of India Today group as well," he said.
Asked whether he would resign, Khurshid dubbed it as a "disputed question of journalist ethics and political ethics". At the same time, he said he would be ready to take the "extreme decision" in the matter. "I will submit my resignation if Aroon Purie (TV Today Chairman-cum-Managing Director) also steps down," he said.
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