JOIN USDeshpande, who rushed to national capital after being summoned the party high command, is learnt to have met AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka and Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and party president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmad Patel.
It is learnt that Deshpande asserted that he was innocent and that it was a mistake committed by some lower rank office bearers and administrative staff.
He also complained to the high command that some senior leaders in the party state unit may have deliberately leaked the documents to the media to tarnish his image.
Embarrassed by the allegation, the party high command, however, tried to play down the issue by not reacting to it. When asked about the party’s position, Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said: “If any such thing has happened, the party general secretary in charge to Karnataka is the best person to react.”
Mysore MP H Vishwanath urged the Government to take immediate steps to ban collection of funds for calamities by political parties and private organisations. As the funds raised by private associations and political parties always gave scope for misuse, the government should ensure that only deputy commissioners are responsible to raise funds, said the MP.