[Reader-list] How Sageer Mian ‘Janasanghi’ Peeli Topiwale's grandchild made it to the big league?

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All

Pimping is seen by many as a dirty game which involves no fair play
but is it just a test of one's blind commitment to a cause or is it a
subtle craft, which is honed after years of practice, focus and
dedication. I don't know,  but following the labyrinth of stories
associated with characters from the BJP, which has hogged the
collective imagination of many of us on this list, I accidentally
stumbled upon, some narratives about bit players whose role was
marginal but crucial to our understanding how recent events in the
lives of many in the BJP may have come to pass.

Raja Hindustani aka Suhail Ahmed aka Suhail Hindustani, grandson of
Sageer Mian ‘Janasanghi’ Peeli Topiwale belonging to the Mewar region
of Rajasthan, is one such character.

He role seems to be so crucial in the unfolding of the drama related
to 'National politics' that even Jaswant Singh when speaking with
Shekhar Gupta on 'Walk the Talk' mentions his name...

Shekhar Gupta: Did you say we are becoming like the Congress

Jaswant Singh: Oh yes, that also I have said. But there were occasions
when I was very very deeply disturbed
Shekhar Gupta: Why don’t you tell us one odd?

Jaswant Singh: Like this whole instance of bringing money into
Parliament….and there was some strange fellow, I don’t recollect his
name, he was introduced and he was going to find out and what is this
called

Shekhar Gupta: Sting operation….So who was this strange fellow

Jaswant Singh: Some Muslim…something…some Hindustani, some pseudonym
and he came here

( http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-told-advaniji-not-to-associate-himself-with-the-sting-operation.-he-kept-quiet-and-i-couldnt-press-beyond-a-point/506218/0
)

Raja Hindustani aka Suhail Hindustani was allegedly involved in the
Cash for votes scandal. Below is a copy of deposition which he
submitted to the Speaker of Lok Sabha in that regard. His version
brings to light how, many complex layers of social networks,
technology, money, spaces made distant through artificial thresholds,
and knowledge about producers and consumers, circulates in urban
settings to bring to fruition certain pre-determined propositions. The
deposition reads like a script of a racy Tarantino film. Talk of life
being stranger than fiction, Ha!

Warm regards

Taha

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?238169
 	
For The Record
'Truth, And Nothing But Truth'
English translation of the affidavit filed in Hindi by Suhail Ahmed,
alias Suhail Hindustani, alias Raja Hindustani, the alleged go-between
in the cash-for-votes scandal that rocked Parliament on July 22 on how
the sting operation unfolded.
Suhail Ahmed

12 August 2008

To
The Honourable Speaker
Lok Sabha
New Delhi

Subject: Witness statement in the ‘Cash-for-Votes’ scandal in
Parliament on July 22, 2008 involving Shri Amar Singhji, General
Secretary of the Samajwadi Party, Shri Ahmed Patelji, Political
Secretary to the Congress President, and Shri Reoti Raman Singhji, MP
and Samajwadi Party leader

***

Honourable Sir,

I am submitting this statement to your Honourable Self as a witness in
the recent "Cash-for-Votes" scandal that rocked Parliament on July 22,
2008. All the information contained in this statement is based on
Truth, and nothing but Truth, and I say this by invoking the name of
Allah or God Almighty. My life is in threat, but I am ready to
sacrifice my life for the Truth contained in this statement. My only
wish is that my body may be buried near the Jama Masjid adjoining
Parliament.

Let me introduce myself as a devoted Muslim and a patriotic Indian. My
original name was Suhail Ahmed, which I later changed to Suhail
Hindustani. I am a small-scale trader of gems and jewelry. I had a
shop (Bobby Emporium, Shop No.6) in the shopping arcade of Janpath
Hotel in New Delhi, which was closed down in April 2008. I hail from
Jaipur. My parents and other members of my family live in Jaipur.

For the past nearly 15 years, I am also active as an ordinary social
and political worker of the BJP. For many years I was a karyakarta in
the BJP’s Yuva Morcha and have worked closely with Shri Shahnawaz
Hussainji, MP, when he was a minister in Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji’s
Government. My family in Rajasthan has a long association with the BJP
and the Jana Sangh. My grandfather was indeed known as Shri Sageer
Mian ‘Janasanghi’ Peeli Topiwale, who worked in Tonk and Ajmer Sherif.

I have lived most of my life in Delhi in the official residence of
some MP or the other. Besides my business, I do small errands and
liaisoning work for MPs belonging to various parties. This, combined
with the fact that I move around mostly in North Avenue and South
Avenue, has enabled me to develop close acquaintances with people in
various political parties and also with some in business circles. As a
result, I have acquired good ground-level knowledge of the political
developments in the corridors of power.

In early July, after the communist parties withdrew support to the UPA
Government, the "market" (as the place for political wheeling-dealings
is called) was abuzz with talk that opposition MPs would be offered
huge amounts as bribes to either vote for the Government or abstain
from voting. Some of the middlemen contacted me to find out if I knew
any "plots" (codeword for MPs willing to cross-over for a
consideration). I would ask them how much "paper" (codeword for the
bribe amount) was on offer. Their reply — namely, that the amount was
in the neighbourhood of Rs 20-25 crore — took me by surprise.

I had been closely following the debate on the nuclear deal. From what
I understood of the issue, I came to the conclusion that it was not in
India’s interests and that it was a sell-out to America. In
particular, I was well aware of the strongly critical sentiments about
the nuclear deal, and about the US President George Bush, that
prevailed in my (Muslim) community. I was therefore angry that, in its
bid to go ahead with the nuclear deal, the UPA Government was
indulging in horse-trading in order to save itself in the trust vote.

Around this time, I came to know from the "market" that a large number
(over 15) of BJP and NDA MPs were being targeted by Shri Ahmed
Patelji, Shri Amar Singhji and other leaders of the Congress and
Samajwadi Party. I felt that the victory of Dr Manmohan Singhji’s
Government through defections from the BJP was neither good for the
country nor good for the Party I support.

On July 17, I left for Bangalore by an Air Deccan flight for three
days on some personal work. I returned to Delhi on July 20 by a
morning Air Deccan flight and booked a room (no. 307) in the India
Islamic Centre to conduct my operations from there. I contacted Shri
S.P. Guptaji, an IAS officer of Haryana cadre who works closely with
Shri Bhupinder Singh Hoodaji, Chief Minister of Haryana. He is the
chief administrator of the Housing Board of Haryana. He was with me
for over an hour at the coffee shop of the India Islamic Centre. He
took the list of MPs from me and said, "I don’t want any money in this
deal. But if your list of MPs is pucca, I will take you to meet Shri
Hoodaji and Shri Ahmed Patelji, who will discuss the deal with you."

While I was at the India Islamic Centre, a mushaira was being
organised in the evening at the Centre’s auditorium. I met Shri Uday
Pratap Singhji, a Samajwadi Party MP, (also known as ‘Guruji’, since
he is known as the Guru of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav) outside the
auditorium. I have great regard for him as an elderly politician who
is wise and experienced. I told him that I had a list of opposition
MPs who could be approached to support the Government, and added,
"Mera kuchh kaam kar do, Guruji," (Guruji, please do me a favour.)
When I gave him the list, he told me that this work was being handled
by Shri Amar Singhji and that I should contact him through Shri Reoti
Raman Singhji. Shri Uday Pratap Singhji took my number and said that
Shri Reoti Raman Singhji would call me on my mobile.

It was at this time that I decided to do something big in life to
expose the scandal of bribing MPs by pretending to act as a middleman.

On July 21, at around 11.30 am, I phoned Shri Sudheendra Kulkarniji, a
senior BJP activist who was OSD in the PMO when Shri Vajpayeeji was
the Prime Minister. (His mobile number is 9810*****2). I have
considerable respect for him due to my acquaintance with him when he
used to live in the party full-timers’ rooms in the BJP headquarters
at 11 Ashoka Road. He now works with Shri Advaniji. Therefore, I felt
that he was the right person for me to convey the message that over a
dozen BJP MPs were being approached by Congress-SP leaders.

Shri Kulkarniji took the names of BJP MPs from me and called me back
in an hour’s time to say that he wanted me to meet him as soon as
possible.

In the afternoon, at around 1.30 pm, Shri Guptaji phoned me and asked
me to meet him at Claridges Hotel. He promised to arrange my meeting
with Shri Ahmed Patelji. As we were having soup in the restaurant, two
persons came to meet us — Shri Lovely Singh (son of Shri Buta Singhji,
former Home minister and Governor of Bihar) and Shri Aman Arora, who
was introduced as Shri Lovely Singh’s friend. They came in a
black-coloured Honda CRB car. They asked me about the list of "Plots"
(MPs) I had and questioned me about my contacts in the BJP. Shri
Guptaji prepared the list as per the names mentioned by me. Soon
thereafter, Shri Lovely Singh put a call through to Shri Ahmed Patelji
from his mobile and gave it to me to speak to him. Shri Patelji asked
me to come to his house at 23 Willingdon Crescent at 7.30 pm along
with my "Plots". When I asked Shri Lovely Singh and Shri Aman Arora
about their mobile number, both of them gave, strangely, the same
number: 989******0.

Thereafter, I met Shri Kulkarniji and I gave him all the information I
had. After posing many searching questions to me, he asked me, "What
is your motive in giving this information to me?" Since I am from
Rajasthan, I said, "I want to be Maharana Pratap, and not Mansingh.
Raja Mansingh accepted the Mughal rule and, therefore, very few people
in Rajasthan honour him today. In contrast, Maharana Pratap wandered
in jungles, slept on the floor and ate rotis made of grass but did not
surrender his self-respect before the Mughals. Therefore, tens of
thousands of people gather every year to pay homage to him on his
birth anniversary. I have seen this contrast with my own eyes."

I told Shri Kulkarniji that I recalled these contrasting images when I
was faced with two diametrically opposite options: either to pocket a
few crore rupees by betraying the country and acting as a dalal in the
horse-trading of MPs, or to show courage and earn the blessings of
Allah."

My words increased the trust and confidence that Shri Kulkarniji had
developed in me. He then asked me if I would facilitate the
whistle-blowing operation by a few BJP MPs to expose the bribery
scandal. I readily and enthusiastically agreed. He asked me, "Aap ki
pahunch kahan tak hai?" (How high-level are your contacts?). I offered
to take the MPs to Shri Ahmed Patelji and Shri Amar Singhji. I told
him that I had come to know from my contacts in the "market" that both
were active in settling deals with non-UPA MPs willing to defy their
respective party whips and support the Government.

Late in the afternoon of July 21, Shri Kulkarniji introduced me to
three BJP Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) — Shri Ashok Argalji, Shri
Mahavir Baghoraji and Shri Faggan Singh Kulasteji. Shri Kulkarni also
told me that a team from CNN-IBN was coming soon to work closely with
the three MPs, record their whistle-blowing operation and telecast it.

My contacts in the Congress and SP circles were excited when I told
them that three BJP MPs were willing to cross over. As mentioned
earlier, Shri Lovely Singh had arranged my meeting with Shri Ahmed
Patelji at 7.30 pm at the latter residence on Willingdon Crescent.
Since the CNN-IBN team had not yet arrived, I requested for the
meeting to be rescheduled. I was then informed that I could bring the
MPs to meet Shri Ahmed Patelji to Le Meridien Hotel.

The CNN-IBN team, comprising Shri Siddharth Gautam, reporter, and Shri
Sudesh, cameraman, arrived at Shri Kulkarniji’s residence at around
10.00 pm. They fitted hidden cameras behind the shirts worn by Shri
Kulasteji and Shri Baghoraji, after which I took them to Meridien
Hotel at around 11.00 pm. All three of us were driving in Shri
Kulasteji’s vehicle bearing the MP’s label. Shri Argalji stayed behind
at Shri Kulkarniji’s residence.

Upon reaching the hotel, Shri Lovely Singh told me that Shri Ahmed
Patelji had left about 10 minutes earlier after having waited for the
BJP MPs for quite some time. There were many Congress leaders in the
lobby of the Hotel and the atmosphere was that of a ‘Ghodon ki Mandi’
(horses’ market). I am constrained to state here that, in CNN-IBN’s
August 11 telecast of its sting operation on the ‘Cash-for-Votes’
scandal, the channel hid the information from its viewers that the
visit to Meridien Hotel was to meet Shri Ahmed Patelji. The channel
also showed no clips of the Congress leaders whom the two BJP MPs and
I met in the hotel lobby.

>From Meridien, we drove back to the residence of Shri Ashok Argalji at
4 Ferozshah Road. Apart from Shri Argalji and Shri Kulkarniji, I met
two other persons from CNN-IBN there. One was Shri Saif Kidwai, who
introduced himself as a producer, and a colleague of his whose name I
do not know. Shri Siddharth Gautam of CNN-IBN told us that instead of
going out to meet anybody with hidden cameras, it was better to invite
the person to a safe room since the quality of recording would be much
better. Accordingly, his team fitted cameras behind curtains in the
drawing room in Shri Argalji’s house, and a listening device in an
adjoining room.

After our failure to meet Shri Ahmed Patelji, I focused my efforts on
meeting Shri Amar Singhji. When I contacted Shri Reoti Raman Singhji
at his residence (telephone no: 2378 2233) from my mobile (no.
999******0), he agreed to meet the three BJP MPs at Shri Argalji’s
house. Shri Reoti Raman Singhji came at around 12.30. I introduced him
to the three MPs. He told them that their interests would be taken
care of if they agreed to support the Government. The MPs asked him
how much they would be paid. He replied that the amount would be
decided by Shri Amar Singhji and promised to take them to meet the SP
leader. This entire meeting and conversation has been recorded by the
CNN-IBN team on their hidden cameras.

During this meeting, I was partly inside Shri Argalji’s drawing room
and partly in the adjoining room where Shri Siddharth Gautam, Shri
Saif Kidwai, Shri Sudesh and the fourth member from the CNN-IBN team
were listening to the conversation in the drawing room. Shri
Kulkarniji was also present in the adjoining room.

Since it was late in the night, the MPs refused to go to Shri Amar
Singhji’s house. However, Shri Reoti Raman Singhji phoned me the next
morning, on July 22, and said that Shri Amar Singhji was waiting for
the MPs at his residence (27 Lodhi Estate). Accordingly, I accompanied
two MPs—Shri Argalji and Shri Kulasteji—to Shri Amar Singhji’s
residence. I was wearing green half-trousers and a white t-shirt. Shri
Baghoraji stayed behind at 4 Ferozshah Road. This was around 10 am.

We drove in a white Maruti Zen (DL 5CC 7218). My friend Hashmat Ali
was driving the car. I was sitting on the front seat next to the
driver’s. Shri Argalji and Shri Kulasteji were sitting on the back
seats. Shri Sidharth Gautam told us that he would travel ahead of us
in a CNN-IBN car and capture on his camera our entry into, and exit
out of, Shri Amar Singhji’s house.

Shri Amar Singhji welcomed the three of us warmly and treated us to
dates and dry grapes. He was wearing white pyjama and a kurta of
sky-blue colour. Thanking me for bringing the two MPs to meet him, he
claimed that he had already "managed" the support of 275-285 MPs to
ensure the survival of the UPA Government. Nevertheless, since Shri
Reoti Raman Singhji had arranged the meeting, he would pay Rs. 3 crore
to each MP if they abstained from the trust vote. At this point, Shri
Argalji and Shri Kulasteji mentioned to him that they had one more BJP
MP willing to abstain. Shri Amar Singhji told them that he would pay
the same amount to Shri Baghoraji.

After this, Shri Amar Singhji spoke to somebody and informed that
person that three more BJP MPs had agreed to abstain from voting. Once
the conversation was over, he told us, "Aap ke baare mein main ne PM
ko bata diya hai." (I have informed the PM about you.) He then phoned
Shri Ahmed Patelji from his mobile and said, "I have three more Kamals
(Lotuses) here." He made the two MPs speak to Shri Ahmed Patelji. From
the conversation I could make out that Shri Amar Singhji and Shri
Ahmed Patelji were working in a coordinated manner.

Shri Amar Singhji offered to pay the MPs a token amount of Rs. one
crore and asked them to carry it with them. Shri Argalji and Shri
Kulasteji said, "Hum nahin le jayenge. Bahar mediawalen khade hain."
(We won’t take it with us since mediapersons are standing outside your
house.) Shri Amar Singhji then promised to send the amount with his
assistant, Shri Sanjeev Saxena, within 10-15 minutes. The remaining
amount of Rs. 8 crore, he assured them, would be paid to them after
the trust vote.

As we were coming out of his drawing room, I told Shri Amar Singhji,
"Thakur Sahab, aap Thakur ho kar Marwadi ki tarah baat karte ho. Teen
karod to bahut kum rakam hain." (Thakur Sahab, being a Thakur you are
talking like a Marwadi. Three crores is too small an amount.) He
smiled at me and said, "Aap der se aaye. Raat ko MPs ko le aate to
Ahmedbhai bhi yahin pe the." (You came late. If you had brought the
MPs last night, Ahmed Patel was also here and they would have met
him." I then asked him, "Thakur Sahab, mera kya hoga?" (What about my
share?) He said, "Aap ka saamaan hum ne Golf Course mein rakha hai.
Vahan jaa ke utha lena." (Your amount is kept at Golf Course. Pick it
up from there.)

While entering Shri Amar Singh’s house, I had seen Shri Siddharth
Gautam and his colleague Shri Saif Kidwai. Also present were reporters
and cameramen from several other TV channels. While I was inside Shri
Amar Singhji’s drawing room, Shri Siddharth Gautam (his mobile no. is
989******1) phoned me on my mobile (999******0) and said, "Please tell
me what time you are leaving Shri Amar Singh’s house, so that I’ll be
ready to shoot your car coming out of the house. I want to tell you
that a lot of other mediapersons are also standing here." This can be
checked from my mobile call records and those of Shri Siddharth
Gautam. We left Shri Amar Singh’s house at 10.48 am.

We left Shri Amar Singhji’s house to return to Shri Argal’s house at
around 10.30 am. Within 15 minutes, his assistant Shri Sanjeev Saxena,
accompanied by a well-built person, arrived at 4 Ferozshah Road in a
white Gypsy car no. DL-3C-S-8562. The number was noted by a member of
Shri Argalji’s staff. Before ushering Shri Saxena and his colleague
(who was carrying two pistols hidden behind his clothes) into the
drawing room, I told him, "Meri Shri Amar Singhji se baat karao, yeh
maal bahut kum hai. Hum is par sauda nahin karenge." (Make me speak to
Shri Amar Singhji, because this amount is too small. We’ll not do not
do the deal at this rate.") Shri Saxena put the call through to Shri
Amar Singhji, who told me that he would double the rate to Rs 6 crore
per MP. "If this is acceptable, the deal is on. Otherwise, I’ll ask my
man to return immediately."

I replied that the deal was acceptable. However, I did not have the
time to communicate this part of the conversation with Shri Amar
Singhji (about the rate being hiked from Rs. 3 crore to Rs. 6 crore)
to the three MPs (who were inside the drawing room) as the next stage
of the operation took place swiftly.

I then ushered Shri Saxena and his colleague into the drawing room in
Shri Argal’s house, which had already been bugged by the CNN-IBN team
with hidden cameras. His colleague was wearing a yellow-coloured shirt
with long sleeves. I had seen this person, who looked like a security
guard, at Shri Amar Singh’s house. He was carrying a small revolver
hidden beneath his shirt. Shri Saxena had carried the money in a dark
green bag and removed ten bundles of Rs. 10 lakhs each, most of it in
currency notes of Rs. 1000, and placed them on a table.

After this, Shri Argalji introduced Shri Baghoraji to Shri Saxena as
the third MP. Shri Baghoraji wanted to speak to Shri Amar Singhji for
direct confirmation of the remaining amount to be paid. Shri Saxena
tried to connect Shri Amar Singhji’s telephone number, which was
repeatedly coming engaged. Finally, he got all three MPs to speak to
Shri Amar Singhji. After this, I asked Shri Saxena for his mobile
number, saying that I would like to remain in touch with him in future
for any "chhota-mota kaam". The number that Shri Saxena gave me was
981******9. The CNN-IBN team has recorded these happenings on its
hidden cameras.

After Shri Sanjeev Saxena left Shri Argal’s house, the CNN-IBN team
filmed the serial numbers of the first and the last currency notes in
the ten bundles.

Shri Siddharth Gautam then interviewed with his regular camera the
three MPs in the drawing room, with the amount of Rs. 1 crore
displayed on the table. Shri Kulkarniji and I were not in the room
when the interview was being conducted. But we watched it by standing
outside near the door.

Thereafter, the three MPs packed the amount in two separate bags and
left for Parliament. By this time, mediapersons had already started to
arrive at Shri Argalji’s house. I, therefore, quietly sneaked out of
the house, took a local bus to Dhaula Kuan, from where I boarded
another bus at 2.30 pm to go to Jaipur. I arrived in Jaipur at around
7.30 pm.

I watched TV at around 8.00 pm and learnt that the Government had won
the trust vote by securing 275 votes in its favour with 256 votes
against and 10 abstentions. I was deeply disappointed. I switched to
CNN-IBN to see if it was showing the tape of the sting operation.
Although the channel was showing (indeed, all other channels were
showing) the three MPs displaying the notes inside Parliament, there
was no sign of the sting tape. I asked some people if the channel had
shown the tape earlier. They had no knowledge of it. My disappointment
and anger knew no bounds. I felt that the channel had betrayed the
trust of the three MPs as well as the trust of all those who had
facilitated the exposure of this bribery scandal.

All the information in this statement is true and factual. I am ready
to be cross-examined by your Honourable Self or by the members of the
inquiry committee appointed by you.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Suhail Hindustani

213 A, MS Flats Quarters
Opposite R.M.L. Hospital
Baba Kharak Singh Marg
New Delhi – 1100 001