New Delhi, Aug 9: Stepping up its offensive, BJP today accused Sonia Gandhi of “influencing” the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as CWG OC chief and alleged that the Congress was “saving” Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as it knows that the “Prime Minister is next in line”.
While party chief Nitin Gadkari wanted Gandhi to tell the nation why Dikshit is not being removed from her post despite CAG saying there was a loss of crores of rupees, senior leader L K Advani alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was heading the “most corrupt government” since India's independence.
Addressing a well-attended rally organised by BJP's youth wing here, the leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, attacked the government on the issues of corruption, terrorism and rising prices of essential commodities.
Demanding the resignation of Dikshit, Gadkari said: “Congress is hesitant in asking Dikshit to step down because it knows that after her it will be the turn of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. That is why they are keeping mum on the issue.”
“I want to ask Sonia Gandhi why action is not being taken against Sheila Dikshit despite her public statement that those involved in corruption will be punished. Why no action has been taken against her?” Gadkari asked.
The BJP chief said both Manmohan Singh and Gandhi should answer under whose pressure Kalmadi was appointed to the post despite objections raised by three Sports Ministers. “Manmohan Singh is on silent mode, the switch for this is in Sonia's hand. It is now clear that Kalmadi's appointment has come under Sonia's influence. Soniaji, I want to know why did you appoint this corrupt official, people need to know an answer,” he told the rally.
Gadkari also alleged that that the CWG scam is not only Dikshit centered.
Gadkari said the people of the country has every right to know why Congress is “quiet” on the CAG report as it made a “hue and cry” when the Karnataka Lokayukta indicted the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in mining issue. “Whenever we used to talk about corruption, they would ask about Karnataka. We did it, but why are you keeping quite on Sheila Dikshit? Because, you know, after her it is the turn of the Prime Minister,” he said.
Advani said the BJP would fight till a “logical conclusion” is achieved on the issues of inflation, black money and corruption.
“There is no other government in this country ever before which was corrupt than the current dispensation. The Manmohan Singh Government is the most corrupt government in independent India,” he alleged.
Swaraj said the UPA Government has been exposed in the past two years and that it has failed on a number of fronts like terrorism, corruption, inflation and bringing back black money to the country.
“A Minister (A Raja) who was in the UPA cabinet is in jail. A leader of the party (Kalmadi) is in jail and the daughter of a senior leader (Kanimozhi) is in jail. Whom are you fighting? Are you fighting corruption? There are more people who are waiting to go the jail,” she said. PTI
