India begins corruption scandal probe

Opposition party cadres protest the ruling BJP's involvement in the scandal

In this story: Military probe Congress party 'revitalized' RELATED STORIES

NEW DELHI, India -- A three-member army court has begun looking into a corruption scandal that has claimed the political lives of several Indian cabinet ministers.

The probe comes as India's political parties say they will launch street protests across the country as part of a "long-haul" programme to oust Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The scandal has already paralyzed the lower house of parliament for a fourth day. House speaker Ganti Balayogi suspended proceedings when lawmakers refused to comply with his request to debate on the scandal.

But a leading member of India's Congress Party has said its legislators will not stand in the way of government seeking a vote to allow it to continue spending money after the end of the fiscal year on March 31.

"We don't want to be irresponsible. The vote-on -account will be passed," Kapal Sibal said.

Military probe

During its first day of closed door hearings, court of inquiry, headed by Lt. Gen. S.K. Jain called for copies of the tape recordings made by internet news provider Tehelka.com.

The tape allegedly shows at least four senior army officers taking bribes from undercover journalists posing as arms dealers.

The scandal has already triggered the resignations of Defense Minister George Fernandes, and the ruling Bharatiya Jananta Party leader Bangaru Laxman. Four army officials have also been suspended.

Last Friday, two key members of cabinet, Railway Minister Mamata Bannerjee and Minister of State for External Affairs Ajit Panja resigned to protest what they say is Vajpayee's slow response to the crisis.

Congress party 'revitalized'

The Congress Party has launched what it calls a 'long term' plan to campaign for Vajpayee's ouster

The scandal has revitalized India's Congress Party, which suffered its worst electoral defeat in 1999.

The party, which is now led by Sonia Gandhi, widow of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has ruled India for 45 of the 54 years since its independence.

The party says it will launch the first phase of its plan to oust Vajpayee this weekind, with public meetings in each of India's districts.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance has said it too will take its campaign to win back credibility to the people.

"We will tell the nation the facts of the case. No deal was struck, no minister was involved. It was only a fictitious deal," Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman V.K. Malhotra said.

The BJP has aleady called a meeting of its elite national executive group next weekend, the highlight of which will be a public meeting to be addressed by the Prime Minister.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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