Vajpayee fights bribery scandal damage

Protesters dramatize the death of India's ruling party amid an arms pay-off scandal

NEW DELHI, India -- Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's political party is planning a meeting this weekend to refute the opposition's corruption allegations amid an arms pay-off scandal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the ruling coalition, will stage a public meeting and conclude with an address by Vajpayee intended to boost public confidence.

The government has seemingly embarked on a program of damage control, with India's Central Bureau of Investigation conducting a probe into an aide of key opposition leader Sonia Gandhi.

The aide, Vincent George, had reportedly acquired property beyond his means.

He was the private secretary of Sonia Gandhi's husband, the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"A government which is unable to defend itself has decided to hit out blindly against a functionary in the Congress (Party) president's office," Congress Party spokesman Jaipal Reddy told the Hindustan Times.

"It will take a toll on the National Democratic Alliance's residual credibility." The government denies Congress Party allegations that the investigation is politically motivated.

"The preliminary enquiry in this connection was registered in March last year," an unnamed CBI official told the Times of India newspaper.

Momentary lull

The opposition has paralyzed both houses of Congress for eight days, ahead of a three-week parliamentary recess starting this weekend.

Led by Gandhi's Congresss Party, the opposition has been calling on the people to protest against the government and urge key officials -- including Vajpayee -- to resign.

The scandal gained momentum shortly after an internet news site showed scenes of top military and other government officials apparently taking cash pay-offs from journalists posing as arms dealers.

The arms pay-off scandal has landed the government in its deepest crisis since Vajpayee took office 17 months ago.

Defense minister Geroge Fernandes resigned and BJP leader Bangaru Laxman has been booted out.

"Soldiers are bleeding while the government takes commissions," opposition members shouted.

Despite the opposition parties stepping up protests, political analysts say the Vajpayee government is in no immediate danger of falling.

But the scandal has dented its authority and left it vulnerable to the demands of its coalition partners, they added.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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