New Delhi: Rejecting the charge that he had any links with the mastermind of multi-crore fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi, former Defence Minister George Fernandes told Lok Sabha today (July 12, 2004) that he had never met him in his life.

Making a personal clarification on the charge made against him by RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) members in the House last week, Fernandes said, "there is no substance whatsoever in this accusation.

"Since the accusation is born out of the photographs taken on the occasion of a public function in Dhule in Maharashtra on July 3,1999, let me put the facts before you and the House."

Recalling that he was invited in June 1999 by Anil Ghote, the then MLA on behalf of the organising committee set up to build a memorial for Param Vir Chakra winner Abdul Hamid who laid down his life in the war against Pakistan in 1965, Fernandes said he accepted the invitation.

He attended the function on July 3,1999 in which the then Chief Minister Narayan Rane, the then Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani were present. After the function, he left for Delhi by an Indian Airlines flight at 8 pm the same day.

"I had no clue about the people who were on the dais at the function except Mr and Mrs Ghote. If a photograph shows Abdul Karim Telgi on the dais, a person whom I have never met in my life, to call this as links is, to say the least, unjust," Fernandes said.