During the Emergency, Ambika Soni was known to wield considerable clout in government circles because of her proximity to the late Sanjay Gandhi, who was then emerging as extra-constitutional power centre. Then she disappeared, only to re-emerge when Rajiv Gandhi entered the political scene. The fact that Sonia Gandhi is now party president has helped Soni consolidate her position. One of the general secretaries of the Indian National Congress, she has been voicing the party's views in the media from time to time.

In an exclusive interview with Special Correspondent Onkar Singh, Soni denied the Congress had any hand in the Tehelka tapes. She has also questioned the timing of the FIR filed against Sonia Gandhi's private secretary, Vincent George, by the CBI.

The BJP thinks the Tehelka expose is a big conspiracy. What do you have to say about the Tehelka tapes?

This is one of the best things to happen in the Indian media. It is a marvellous piece of investigative journalism. I don't know what BJP has to say, but the whole country has been lauding the Tehelka expose. I compliment those who have exposed corruption not only in high places in politics but also in our defence systems. On March 22, Zee telecast some portions of the tapes at prime time. As a result, I am told, the viewership of Kaun Banega Crorepati dipped substantially. This should give you an idea about the perception of the people as far as the expose is concerned.

The ruling party has alleged the Tehelka tapes came at a time when the Congress was looking for a stick to beat the government with.

This is not true. The BJP will obviously say all sorts of things now. We have taken up the issue of the farmers of India, who are in pathetic state. We have taken up socio-economic issues. We have taken up the issue of empowering women. So it is not true that we were looking for issues and Tehelka came in at the right time.

Bangaru Laxman, Jaya Jaitly and George Fernandes have resigned. The government has announced a probe that will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Yet, your party refused to allow Parliament to function. What more do you want?

Where is the need to hold a probe? It is all there for the nation to see. The nation has seen former BJP party president Bangaru Laxman accepting money -- currency notes worth Rs 1,00,000 -- from so-called defence dealers. Jaya Jaitly sits in the house of the former defence minister and discusses how to push defence deals. She too agrees to take money because their national convention is being organised and it will come in handy. She now claims she did not take the money, while Bangaru Laxman says it was meant for party funds. The fact is, the residence of the defence minister was misused to discuss matters that may have a direct bearing on the nation's security. The denials came much later. The initial reaction in government circles was also one of shock.

You have been saying Brajesh Mishra and other PMO officials who have been mentioned in the tapes must resign. But the prime minister says they have done nothing wrong.

We are not the only ones who are saying this. Mamta Banerjee, a partner in the NDA government, resigned from the Union council of ministers because she felt the security of the nation had been compromised by certain elements in the defence establishment. She had also demanded the resignation of the defence minister. Shiv Sena's Bal Thackeray demanded Mishra and the other officials named in the tapes resign and clear the air. RSS chief Sudershan has made a similar demand. So how can they say it is only the Congress and the other opposition parties who are gunning for the government? This government has lost its moral right to continue in office. They should resign and go.

The BJP has accused the Congress conniving with Tehelka.com to bring disrepute to the government and try and topple it?

There is no question of the Congress conniving with Tehelka.com in any manner. The government is shaken because its misdeeds are exposed. The prime minister once said the press will have to accept certain restrictions. This is obviously an attempt to muzzle the media. We want the system to be cleansed once and for all. This government must resign; it has lost its moral right to continue in office.

The BJP has demanded the resignation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi because the CBI has filed a case against her private secretary, Vincent George.

In 1996, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said there are 101 ways for the government to put someone under pressure by using CBI to register false cases. Then, he was an opposition leader. Today, he is using the same CBI to settle scores with Sonia Gandhi because she has launched an offensive against the present government on the issue of the Tehelka expose.

They say you are trying to destabilise the nation and the government.

Asking the party in power to resign does not mean the destabilisation of the government or the nation. When Lal Bahadur Shastri was railway minister, he took moral responsibility for a railway accident and tendered his resignation. If he could do it, why can't Vajpayee who claims he is a man of high moral values? Where those values have gone?

Are you happy that dot.com companies were not around when the Bofors deal was struck?

We have said time and again that the Bofors case should be taken to its logical conclusion. Sonia Gandhi has challenged anyone to lay their hands on even one document linking her late husband with the Bofors gun deal. V P Singh, who was the defence minister, became prime minister on this issue. He knew everything about the Bofors purchase; why couldn't he come out with details? Vajpayee has been in office three times; has he been able to bring any substantial evidence against Rajiv Gandhi? Tehelka has done a commendable job. It has opened new avenues for investigative journalism.

Sushma Swaraj has said Sonia Gandhi is welcome to have a debate on Prasar Bharti. Is the Congress taking up the challenge?

Sonia Gandhi had written a letter to the prime minister, asking that the Congress party be allowed to explain its point of view to the nation after the government allowed George Fernandes to do the same. It was expected that the prime minister would send a reply to Sonia Gandhi. Instead, Sushma Swaraj holds a press conference and makes an offer. Why should we enter into a debate with her? The Congress party insists that Prasar Bharti give it the same facilities as George Fernandes, who was allowed to explain his position in a national telecast.

Design: Dominic Xavier

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