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I take no responsibility for what Pratibha does: Bardhan
Published on Sun, Jul 01, 2007 at 20:13, Updated at Tue, Jul 03, 2007 in Nation section
Tags: Devils Advocate, Karan Thapar , Karan Thapar
RIGHT TO CLAIM: Bardhan says Pratibha is a simple woman who has not been charged of any crime.
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A B Bardhan: I think you can go on to the next question because it so happens that so many banks and co-operatives fail. It only shows that she was not a very great executive director in all these economic affairs.
Karan Thapar: A woman who presided over a failed bank is the right choice for the President of India? That’s a bizarre decision.
A B Bardhan: A person who was charged with a hawala transaction, a person who was guilty of destroying a masjid (mosque), whose case was in court, wanted to be a Deputy Prime Minister.
Karan Thapar: So you have chosen Pratibha Patil in competition with L K Advani?
A B Bardhan: It is only he and his party who are levelling all these charges. It’s a fascistic trick to throw sufficient mud at a person so that some of it might stick.
Karan Thapar: I’m afraid it’s no mud. Let’s look more carefully at the charges. The Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank was set up as a co-operative to help empower poor women. At the very top of the list are her brothers, her sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces. A sum of Rs 2.25 crore was loaned to family members, and is now a non-performing asset. A further sum of Rs 41 lakh it’s alleged has been waived as interest to her family members. Isn’t this corruption and nepotism?
A B Bardhan: It’s neither corruption nor nepotism.
Karan Thapar: What is it then?
A B Bardhan: You see in a co-operative bank, if members of the family are there, what is there so surprising?
Karan Thapar: A co-operative bank that is meant to empower women has loans given to her brothers and her nephews.
A B Bardhan: Some of them have paid back as far as I know.
Karan Thapar: I’m afraid you are talking about the interest waivers that have perhaps been questioned by the Congress party. I can show you a list published by the Reserve Bank of India, which lists Dilip Patil – her brother, Kishore Dilip Singh Patil – her nephew, Randhir Singh Dilip Singh Rajput – her nephew, Rajeshwari Kishore Singh Patil – her niece, Uddhav Singh Rajput – her brother’s kin.
The total number of loans amounts to Rs 2.25 crore. And those on the list have been defaulted on and are officially recorded as non-performing assets.
A B Bardhan: Who else, but we have exposed all the non-performing assets that have been there.
Karan Thapar: But today you are giving her strange promotion to Presidency.
A B Bardhan: And let me tell you that all those people who are guilty of that are now holding high posts. And not only from the Congress or our side, but many other sides too.
Karan Thapar: You are not answering my question. You are justifying her on the grounds of lower standards of other politicians. That’s a strange argument.
A B Bardhan: I’ve never justified her as a very great economic expert or as a great chief executive of a bank.
Karan Thapar: What about the woman of integrity? That is what is being questioned here.
A B Bardhan: Who has questioned her integrity?
Karan Thapar: The Union. Let me quote to you…
A B Bardhan: It is the BMS Union and I know that Union very well.
Karan Thapar: I am afraid it is the Union regardless of what sort of polemic you use to brand it with. The Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Karamchari Sang (union) has said in a memo to the management dated December 3, 2001, and I quote – “Founder chairperson Pratibha Patil has facilitated the loot of large sums of money in the form of unlawful loans without surety extended to her own relatives, and to people close to her.”
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Total Comments: 121
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hey karan, i must say this is very gud, man this guys deserve, tell me one thing they cannot help
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Hello Mr karan, First of all thanks for the insight detailed questioning of Mr bradhan.Its funny to listen to his
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Bardan and his fellow communists have always displayed double standards. They have lent true meaning to the saying %22 Barking
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Dear KaranI was quite impresed with the above interview with Mr.Bardhan. I thought you were quite adept at bringing out
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Awesome Karan. too good Interview. You made him to drink water at this age and Political experience.One point %22 She
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