The King is dead. Long Live the king !!

The King is dead. Long Live the king !!

Is it a coincidence that Bangaru Laxman, the original accused, in the sting operation which caught him accept a bribe of Rs 1.0 lakh should die on the same day as a new accused Virender Kashyp is caught on camera accepting bribe?

Coincidently again, both are from the BJP

Former BJP president and the first Dalit to head the party, Bangaru Laxman, died in Hyderabad today. He was 74.

Mr Laxman, who had been unwell for some time, died in a private hospital in Hyderabad at around 5 pm due to cardiac arrest. He is survived by his wife and former MP, Susheela Laxman Bangaru, son and three daughters.

Mr Laxman was removed as BJP president in 2001 when news portal Tehelka, through a sting operation, showed him taking Rs. one lakh as bribe from undercover journalists in his chamber in the party headquarters to fix a fictitious deal to supply equipment to the Indian Army.

He was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act by a special CBI court and sentenced to four years in jail in April 2012. He was granted bail in October 2012 on health grounds. He had resigned from the BJP's national executive after the court verdict.

Born in a Dalit family in Andhra Pradesh, Bangaru Laxman joined politics at an early age and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996. He was president of the BJP between 2000 and 2001 and Union Minister of State for Railways between 1999 and 2000 during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

"I am deeply saddened to hear the news of former BJP president Shri Bangaru Laxman's sudden demise. He dedicated his life serving the weaker sections of the society. My heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family," BJP president Rajnath Singh tweeted.

"Sad to know about Shri Bangaru Laxman's demise. May his soul rest in peace. Condolences to his family," BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi tweeted.

Other leaders from across the political spectrum also condoled Mr Laxman's death.

Cash on camera: Himachal BJP MP might be booked

Shimla, March 1 (IANS) The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh may register a criminal case against BJP's sitting MP Virender Kashyap, allegedly caught accepting cash on camera, the police said Saturday.

The development is significant as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained the one-time MP Kashyap from the Shimla (Reserved) seat. "The vigilance department's legal cell is examining the case. I can't comment on registering a case against Kashyap at this point in time," Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance) Prithvi Raj told reporters here.

Last November, the Himachal Pradesh High Court issued notice to Kashyap on a petition for quashing a police inquiry report giving a clean chit to him after he was allegedly caught accepting cash.

Petitioner Devashish Bhattacharya has alleged the state government inquiry in 2010 was not fair and aimed at hushing up the matter. The petitioner also sought a fresh free and fair inquiry into the case.

"Solan superintendent of police, on the directions of the director general of police, constituted a special team Jan 5, 2010, to probe the matter. The team submitted its report March 2 and concluded no cognisable offence was made out," said the plea.

The petitioner alleged that police did not take the case to its logical conclusion due to political pressure.

Official sources said a video CD was in circulation in January 2010 in which Kashyap was seen accepting bribe from a private party for helping it in securing permission for setting up an educational institution in the state.

At that time, Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government was in power in the state.