Shekhawat to declare his assets

Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat will declare his assets by Tuesday.

This was disclosed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Shekhawat's campaign leader Sushma Swaraj at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.

"Shekhawatji will declare his assets and leave it in the public domain through the media. He feels if MPs and MLAs are expected to declare their assess, he being a candidate for the highest of land that is the presidentship of the country should also do the same even though there is no legal binding on him to do so nor has the election commission given any directive to this effect," she said.

Shekhawat has summoned his chartered accountant from Jaipur and asked him to compile the details so that it could be given to media persons and also posted on his personal website.

She alleged that the Congress party has lost its moral ground to talk about independence or freedom when they have accepted a foreigner as its party president.

Time and again she stressed the word probity in public life but refrained from asking UPA nominee Pratibha Patil to file her details of her properties.

"We are not asking her to do so," she said.

Though most parties have ditched Shekhawat including the Shiv Sena and Mamata Banerjee may abstain, Swaraj felt confident that her candidate will win the elections.