Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 10, 2004
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=32333
The BJP on Wednesday took strong
exception to the reported statement of Law Minister H R Bharadwaj that
all government files can be shown to Congress president Sonia Gandhi as
she has Cabinet status being chairperson of National Advisory Council.
Maintaining that she has not taken
any oath of secrecy, party general secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley
said in Delhi that the Law Minister showing the files to Gandhi was violative
of the Official Secrets Act as no person can be shown government files
nor could he be privy to such information.
"She hasn't taken oath of secrecy
and therefore she cannot be privy to such information," he said adding
she was not accountable to Parliament.
Jaitley said that the Law Minister
was violating the Official Secrets Act by showing these files to Congress
president as by oath ministers were bound not to show such documents to
anyone else.
