Surajkund (Haryana), Sep 28: At a time when the party has raised the pitch against UPA's corruption, the BJP was today given some “plain speaking” by its veteran L K Advani that its leaders should be above board on graft issues.
His forthright comments came at the valedictory session of the two-day national council that paved the way for another term as party president for incumbent Nitin Gadkari who himself has come under attack for attempted hush up in the Maharashtra irrigation scam.
Advani also told the party leadership at all levels that they must speak in one voice.
“When we criticise the Congress on corruption and there is even a whiff of corruption in our party there is so much noise.
We should expect the same firm treatment to our own people,” he said.
Advani's comments asking the leaders to be above board come at a time when allegations have been made by an RTI activist that attempts were made by Gadkari to hush up the
irrigation scam.
He has strongly denied the charges and issued a legal notice to activist Anjali Damania seeking an apology from her. She has refused to do so.
There have also been allegations that Gadkari's associate and party MP Ajay Sancheti had benefited from coal block allocations in Chhattisgarh and the irrigation scam, which he
has denied.
The BJP also accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of leading his party and government in attacking and subverting constitutional institutions in a bid to shield corruption.
“This government is engaging in corruption and is then being brazen about it. Have they got any inner conscience which is needed to continue in office? This is a government of, for and by the corrupt,” said Murli Manohar Joshi while moving a political resolution.
