Armed with the Wikileaks expose about 2008 trust vote, the Opposition today closed ranks in demanding the immediate resignation of the government, contending that it has lost moral right to continue as the country's democracy has been "maligned".

NDA and Left along with other Opposition parties like Samajwadi Party, TDP and JD(S), which disrupted Parliament over the issue, launched a frontal attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the charge that MPs were bought to save the UPA-I government.

"We would like the Prime Minister to come to the House and announce that he has decided to resign in the light of new revelations," NDA's Working Chairman L K Advani said addressing a press conference along with leaders of allies.

The senior BJP leader ruled out moving a no-confidence motion against the government although he felt "the people are no longer with this government".

Asked whether the NDA would be satisfied if the Prime Minister is changed, Advani replied in the negative.

Describing the allegedly "buying" of MPs during the 2008 confidence vote as the "biggest scandal" in Independent India, he said the Wikileaks had confirmed "our suspicions" about the 'cash-for-vote' scam.

Noting that India had earned respect across the world mainly because of its "sound democracy", Advani said the country's "democracy has been maligned" by this incident.

He gave enough signals that the BJP-led alliance would not allow normal functioning of Parliament till its demand is met as he said that allies will meet every day to decide the course of action.

"We will be failing in our duty if we do not affirm that this government has lost the moral authority to continue even for a single moment," he said in presence of NDA convenor and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, Shiv Sena Anant Geete and Akali Dal's Rattan Singh Ajnala.

Addressing a separate press conference along with leaders of CPI, SP, TDP, TRS, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury dubbed the alleged acts of buying votes as "gross moral de-generation and crass political opportunism" which has undermined Indian democracy.

"It is a humongous indictment of the Congress and the UPA government," he said, adding, "The Prime Minister must come and explain. Today was his day in the Rajya Sabha and he was not present."

Demanding a probe into the matter by the CBI, he wanted to know why investigation in the cash-for-votes scam did not continue. "Was it because it would have embarrassed the government and the principal opposition."

The CPI(M) leader was addressing the press along with Gurudas Dasgupta and D Raja (CPI), former Prime Minister H D Devegowda (JDS), Nama Nageshwara Rao (TDP) and Shailendra Kumar (SP).

Rejecting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's contention in Rajya Sabha that diplomatic immunity prevents this government from investigating cables, Advani said, "The diplomatic immunity does not extend to protecting an Indian offender, who has committed an act of bribery in India."

The principal opposition also rubbished Mukherjee's stand that the offence "vanished" with the dissolution of the 14th Lok Sabha.

"This is incredible since the offence of bribery, committed in 2008, outside Parliament does not vanish because the 14th Lok Sabha has ceased to exist," Advani said.

The senior BJP leader maintained that in the earlier scandals one individual or a few individuals were beneficiaries but in the cash for votes "for the first time it has been seen that the full establishment right from the top in the government and the Congress were involved".

There were directions from the top Congress leadership to "locate and buy" as many MPs as possible, Advani claimed, adding that the whole operation was "schemed" in such a manner.

He also referred to the Wikileaks revelations that money was not an issue but it must be ensured that those who are paid vote accordingly.

The senior leader ruled out bringing a no-confidence motion against the government.

Explaining the reasons for doing so, Advani said, "I or my NDA may want immediate elections. But there are MPs who would want to complete their full term."

The on-going 15th Lok Sabha will complete two years in May this year.

Advani insisted that the Wikileaks disclosure "adds to the campaign of NDA against corruption".

"These allegations of corruption shall continue to haunt this government till it continues... The NDA demands that this government has no moral right to continue, and it should quit," Advani said.

BJP charged that the US was playing a role as "mutual interest" was involved here. The US administration wanted to see that the Civil Nuclear deal was passed.

The senior leader insisted that since last year the government has been mired in "stinking scams to suicide....".

He was referring to former Telecom Minister A Raja's associate Sadiq Batcha, named in the 2-G spectrum allocation scam, who was found hanging yesterday.

The BJP maintains that the Wikileaks expose "corroborates and vindicates" its charge that bribe was paid in July 2008 to win the support of "vulnerable" MPs to save the UPA government.

Advani said after delimitation of constituencies some MPs were not confident of winning their seats and they became targets of the UPA-I government.

Asked why the BJP did not raise questions about holding a vote of confidence once it was convinced that bribes were paid to buy MPs, he maintained that the party could not have questioned the Speaker.

"What could we do? Our own whistle-blower MPs were themselves being blamed. We cannot comment on the Speaker or even the findings of the committee that was appointed," Advani said.

Earlier report:

CPI(M) wants action against Satish Sharma, aide

Demanding the registration of a case in the 'cash-for-vote' scam following the Wikileaks expose, CPI(M) today termed it as a "gross act of political malfeasance and bribery" and said the Congress leadership cannot escape responsibility.

In a statement, the party Politburo said the report sent by US Charge d'Affaires Steven White should be the basis for filing an FIR and initiating an investigation against Satish Sharma and his aide Nachiketa Kapur, who were named in the diplomatic cable.

"The Congress leadership, including the prime minister (Manmohan Singh), cannot escape their responsibility in this gross act of political malfeasance and bribery", the statement said.

The party said the US embassy cable that Congress "paid bribes" to MPs to win the confidence vote in July 2008 is an "additional confirmation" of a well-known fact.

"The 'cash for vote' issue had erupted in the Lok Sabha on the day of the vote itself. But despite the trail of evidence, after an enquiry by a Parliamentary Committee, no action was taken," it said.

According to the leaked cable, Sharma's aide Kapur allegedly showed a US embassy employee "two chests containing cash" and said Rs 50-60 crore is ready for use as "pay-offs" to win the support of some MPs ahead of crucial vote of confidence in UPA government over the Indo-US nuke deal.

Noting that the Congress party machine was working "overtime" behind the scenes in the run-up to the confidence vote on July 22, 2008, the cables also claimed the party had allegedly paid Rs 10 crores to each of their "four RLD MPs."

RLD chief Ajit Singh, Sharma and Kapur have denied the allegations.

Asked about the WikiLeaks claim, V Kishore Deo, the head of the panel looking into the alleged cash-for-votes said, "I had recommended that the report on the scam should be referred to appropriate agencies. I can say nothing on the WikiLeaks report.

"I do not know the source. It is not authentic. So, I don't think it can be used as a basis for making an opinion on this. Just because of WikiLeaks, I and my committee cannot be answerable," he said.

Satish Sharma denies Wikileaks claims

Two key players, including former union minister Satish Sharma, whose name figures in the Wikileaks cables in connection with allegations of bribing MPs to win the 2008 trust vote, today denied any role in the episode.

Rejecting the allegations, Sharma said he did not have any aide by the name of Nachiketa Kapur and the allegations were baseless.

"I have read the Hindu paper. It said I have an aide. I do not have any political aide. There was no aide of me by the name of Kapur as reported by the paper," Sharma said.

US diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks claimed that an aide of Sharma allegedly showed a US Embassy employee "two chests containing cash" and said Rs 50-60 crore is ready for use as "pay-offs" to win the support of some MPs ahead of crucial vote of confidence in UPA government over the Indo-US nuke deal.

Kapur, the other player named in the cable, also denied the allegations as "malicious".

"I vehemently deny this malicious allegations," he said.

Asked whether he met an official from the US embassy, Kapur said he never met the US official. "No, I did not meet him."

When asked about the allegations of him stashing Rs 50-60 crore, Kapur said, "There was no cash so pointing out does not arise."

The cable claimed that Kapur, Sharma's political aide, mentioned to an Embassy staff member in an aside on July 16, 2008 that Ajit Singh's RLD had been paid Rs. 10 crore for each of their "four MPs" to support the government.

Kapur reportedly mentioned that money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government, according to the cable sent from the US embassy to the US state department dated July 17, 2008.

Kapur showed the embassy employee "two chests containing cash" and said that "around Rs. 50-60 crore (about 25 million USD ) was lying around the house for "use as pay-offs", the cable claimed.

Wikileaks claims utterly baseless: Ajit Singh

Dubbing as "utterly baseless" the latest WikiLeaks claim of MPs being bribed ahead of the crucial 2008 trust vote, RLD chief Ajit Singh today said his party had "openly" voted against the UPA at that time.

"We had opposed the (Indo-US) nuclear deal and after talking to MPs from opposition parties we had decided to vote against the government," Singh told PTI here.

He said RLD had made is position clear days before the trust vote.

The former union minister said as against the claims made in the US cables on the trust vote, his party had three MPs in 2008 and not four. "Somebody said something and they transmitted it without confirming...it is utterly baseless," Singh said.

The RLD leader said he was open to any probe into the entire issue.

A set of US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks has said that an aide of Congress leader Satish Sharma allegedly showed a US Embassy employee "two chests containing cash" and said Rs 50-60 crore is ready for use as "pay-offs" to win the support of some MPs ahead of crucial vote of confidence in UPA government over the Indo-US nuke deal.