Kushwaha admits taking money for party, denies bribe charges

PATNA: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday admitted that he had taken money from the party’s national general secretary Pradeep Mishra. He, however, clarified that Mishra had willingly transferred the money into his account for party work.
Kushwaha also denied Mishra’s charge that he had entered into a deal with the head of any business house and if proved to the contrary, he would quit politics.Mishra, at a presser with former RLSP functionary Nagmani on Tuesday, had charged Kushwaha with getting Rs90 lakh transferred in his bank account, besides enjoying foreign trips in the name of giving him party ticket to contest the East Champaran (Motihari) Lok Sabha seat. Mishra had also accused Kushwaha of dealing with a business house to grant him favour as the Union minister in the NDA government.
The timing of the charges levelled was significant as the Mahagathbandhan partners were to be in Delhi on Wednesday to decide the seat-sharing arrangement. Kushwaha, after resigning as a Union minister, had joined the Mahagathbandhan with RJD and Congress.
“I have neither entered into any deal with anyone nor with the head of an industrial house whose name he (read Mishra) has taken. I have never met him,” Kushwaha said, adding: “If anyone proves that I had met that businessman, I will quit politics.”
Kushwaha said, “Whatever his (Mishra’s) charges, the ‘sutradhar’ (director)’ is someone else.”
Kushwaha clarified that no force was applied on Mishra to cough out the money. “I accept that I had taken money from him regarding the party work. How is it a crime?” he asked, adding: “I did not brandish a pistol at him. Nor did I apply any kind of force to pay the money. Party workers spend money for the organizational work and all do it as per their capacity. I did not take money to give him party ticket.”
As to his going abroad on Mishra’s money, Kushwaha said his financial position was not such that he could tour abroad on his own. “Someone (read Mishra) said he was going abroad and asked me to accompany him. This person said he would book the ticket for me. Accordingly, I went abroad on the ticket purchased by this person,” Kushwaha said and asked: “Where is the crime involved in this?”
On the charge of selling the ticket for the Motihari parliamentary seat to RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand, as levelled by expelled senior party functionary Nagmani and Mishra, Kushwaha said the charge was blank as the Mahagathbandhan partners had not decided their seats. “Therefore, at this stage, the charge is totally fictitious,” Kushwaha said.