‘I AM PAINED TO HEAR ALL THAT AJAY MAKEN SAID ABOUT ME,’ VIVEK BANSAL, CONGRESS LEADER

Congress Rajya Sabha candidate from Haryana Ajay Maken has moved a petition against the Election Commission of India in the Chandigarh High Court. Maken also levelled charges against state in-charge Vivek Bansal and former minister Kiran Choudhary. Bansal spoke to Correspondent Deepak Sharma. Here are excerpts.

Q: What is the status of the report you had submitted to the party high command? It has been a quite long time since then.

Vivek Bansal: You see, I have submitted the report to the party high command. What can I say about its status? Whatever the procedure the high command adopts will be shared with you (media). The party had entrusted a job to me and I have done that.

Q: Ajay Maken moved the court against the Election Commission. He has also raised questions about you and Kiran Choudhary.

Vivek Bansal: I have always done ethical politics, will say only this much. People from my district and state, who have entered politics under my tutelage, will vouchsafe that. They will tell you that I have never gone astray from my chosen path. I have served the party with complete dedication. There were Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh as well. Ashok Gehlot was in charge then. People will tell you about my role in that election. The last but not the least, I have always stood for loyalty to the party. I have never compromised on my principles. As far as Ajay Maken is concerned, I am pained to hear all that he said about me. The party has a process, there is a framework, there is a party forum. Whatever we have to say, we put it through that forum only, and yes we also complain about one another. I feel he should not have levelled charges in public.

Q: Ajay Maken has also raised questions on Kiran Choudhary as well. He said that she cast her vote the wrong way and you didn’t pay any heed to it. It may not be a coincidence.

Vivek Bansal: I would like to repeat that I am not wrong. I did not commit any mistake.

Q: The report you submitted the party high command discusses how her vote became invalid and other details also. Kiran Choudhary is talking about some big leaders of the party. Your comment.

Vivek Bansal: You see I will share what I said in the report. This is against the party discipline as well and I am not expected to share all this with you.