Sunday, April 10 2005 13:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Emboldened by a newspaper report of the Tehelka judge giving him a clean chit, former Defence Minister George Fernandes today (Apr 10, 2005) demanded immediate release of the Justice Phukan Commission report on the expose and alleged that the conspiracy to malign him was hatched at the residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"I have proof that the conspiracy to malign me was hatched at the residence of Sonia Gandhi by Congress MPs Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and Oscar Fernandes," the JDU (Janata Dal United) President said in his opening remarks at the party's two-day National Executive meeting, which began today.

Giving an account of the sting operation, he said when the Venkataswamy Commission found him to be innocent in the Tehelka expose, a new commission headed by Justice S N Phukan was set up to go into the matter "but he too has given me a clean chit in the multi-crore defence deals as reported by an English daily today".

Fernandes also claimed that even the CAG had told him that there was nothing against him.

"We want the (Phukan Commission) report to be published. We have a right to know. The country has a right to know. And the Government cannot suppress facts," the JDU leader said adding once the CVC report on defence deals was out, most Congress leaders would not be able to show their face.

"If Congress could play such mischief while being in the Opposition, one can just imagine what they can do now that the party is in power. It is a point to ponder," he said.