NEW DELHI, October 23: Rushing through the flood and the onion issues, the Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj used most of her media briefing refuting charges of her alleged connection with the suspected Dawood frontman, Romesh Sharma. ``I don't know the person. I have never seen his face,'' Swaraj said. ``I think there is something fishy that his name is being linked with the BJP just before the elections.'' Swaraj's name was first linked with the Sharma case in connection with the transfer of the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax department, Vishwa Bandhu Gupta, who has been handling Sharma's case. She had earlier asked for Gupta's transfer.Not denying that she sought Gupta's transfer last year, Swaraj showed copies of letters written in this connection to the media. She also read out the question she raised during the zero-hour in Parliament on August 7 last year.
She said some traders of Great Kailash had contacted her after being threatened by Gupta. Swaraj said she quoted his threats to the traders in Parliament.
This was during the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme (VDIS) days. And Gupta, Swaraj claimed, also told the traders that ```VDIS is a failure, but I will set you people right''.
She asked for Gupta's transfer in a letter to then PM I.K. Gujral on August 8. ``The reason why I raised the issue in Parliament was because Gupta had misbehaved with the traders.'' She added: ``I didn't even try to find out, what had happened to the case because the shopkeepers seemed to have been satisfied,'' she added.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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