Already buffetted by the political firestorm over Telangana, the Congress braced itself for an unprecedented controversy on Friday after the broadcast of a tape purportedly showing state governor and 84-year-old veteran Congressman Narayan Dutt Tiwari having sex in the company of three women.
The three women, according to the Andhra Jyothi news channel which broadcast the tape and admitted to the ?sting operation,? were brought from Uttarakhand to Hyderabad by a ?woman broker? who was promised help by Tiwari if she ?supplied girls to him.?
The news of the broadcast was teased in Andhra Jyothi?s newspaper of the same name this morning prompting Officer on special duty to the governor, Aryandra Sarma, to move the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Governor?s counsel J Ravi Shankar appeared at the Chief Justice?s residence. The court asked the channel to refrain from broadcasting the tape saying it was likely to ?demean and denigrate? the gubernatorial office and ?cause immense harm to the public interest and the damage is likely (to be) irretrievable.?
Andhra Jyothi?s managing editor V Radhakrishna ? who pulled the tape off the air after the order?said the ?expose? was the result of a sting planned over two months. ?About six months ago, we published a story about an alleged relationship between Tiwari and former general secretary of All India Young Women?s Congress Ujjwala Sharma. After this, a woman approached us saying she could provide evidence of Tiwari?s escapades. It took us some months to verify this woman?s claims were true and genuine. We worked on this for two months before we were able to get visuals of the Governor with three young ladies. All three hail from poor families and were promised jobs by the woman who, in turn, was promised help to start a business by the Governor,? Radhakrishna claimed.
The governor?s office said ?it is an untruthful and fabricated news story pertaining to Honourable Governor, trying to portray him in poor light.? Press secretary to the governor SPS Raja issued a statement that as the court had restrained publishing, broadcast or telecast of the news, action would be initiated against publications and news channels if they violate the order.
Calling the incident ?absolutely shameful,? CPM MP Brinda Karat said she was would seek an appointment with President Pratibha Patil to press for the governor?s recall. ?He should be immediately recalled. It is absolutely shameful that such things happen in Indian democracy. It is a very serious thing. Once I put all the files together, I will seek an appointment with the President of India,? Karat told The Indian Express. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu demanded that the Centre should sack Tiwari for ?bringing shame to the office of thegovernor.?
?This is a shame. The Raj Bhavan is a symbol of democracy and it is very unfortunate that its sanctity has been desecrated by what was going on inside it. Everyone is ashamed of what he has been doing until now after seeing those images on TV. Tiwari represents declining values and ethics in public life. There should be a CBI inquiry into this scandal as I feel there are more people involved in it.?
While there was no word from the Congress High Command until this evening, Permanent Invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh K Keshava Rao demanded Tiwari?s resignation. ?I am shocked to see unseeable photos of our respectable Governor. I myself feel ashamed to comment on such a shameful act. I only hope they (photos) are not genuine. But if they are, any responsible person on such a post would quit before he is asked to do so,? Rao said in New Delhi.
AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily refused to comment on the issue saying that he was not aware of the alleged sex scandal.Tiwari had survived a controversy recently when Ujjwala Sharma?s son Rohit Shekhar had gone to court seeking declaration that he was Tiwari?s biological son. The Delhi High Court, however, dismissed Shekhar?s plea.
