BJP leaders are paper tigers: Congress

Stung by the anti-corruption rally of the Opposition targeting the Prime Minister, Congress on Wednesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), choosing to attack the party with wordy expressions, calling it a ?paper tiger? and a ?new icon of corruption?.

?They (BJP) don?t practice what they preach. They have no right to speak on corruption,? said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders sounded a bugle of anti-government tirade at the Ram Lila grounds here on the issue of corruption reiterating its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Singhvi termed the BJP-backed mega rally as one by ?hyprocites?.

?This was a rally by hypocrites, by those who hold a Guinness Book of record in both parliamentary disruption and inaction in corruption,? he said.

?The country has always made most important distinctions between slogans and shibboleths and sincerity. They preach the ideology of show and rally which are meaningless.?

The Congress spokesperson sarcastically said the BJP should not be holding an anti-corruption rally against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as its own national president was captured on camera taking money in the Tehelka expose and that too while NDA was in power.

In 2001, then BJP national president Bangaru Laxman was caught taking bribe on the video footage in a sting operation by Tehelka, then a website. The expose led to his resignation from the position.

?How can a Bangaru party have anti corruption rally? This is a party which has established new paradigms, new icons and images of serious corruption practices,? Singhvi said.

?In Tehelka, not even an FIR (First Information Report) was filed.?

?No one in the world has a sitting president of an opposition party and a ruling party (that time) who was caught on camera demanding and accepting money. Today they are having a rally, but was that sitting president punished? He was given a parliamentary ticket after reinstatement,? said Singhvi.

The Congress also brought up the land scam case involving Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, where the BJP gave a clean-chit and asked him to continue in office.

A set of new documents released by the state Opposition revealed that government land was de-notified or de-reserved in May 2010 on Yeddyurappa?s order.

The land, which was originally acquired by the government for a public project, was sold at heavily-discounted rates, which a part of the land finally being owned by a company, partly owned by Yeddyurappa?s sons BY Raghavendra (a BJP MP) and Vijayendra.

Faced with allegation of wrongful allotment of government to his family members, the cornered chief minister had his son Raghavendra, daughter Umadevi and two other family members surrender their plots.

?Was Yeddyurappa removed? He got a pat on the back by the people holding such rallies,? said Singhvi.

Calling BJP leaders ?paper tigers?, Singhvi said it?s the Congress that takes steps to combat corruption.

?These (BJP leaders) are paper tigers as opposed to real leaders and real political parties who know how to bite the bullet and take concrete actions. This is ulta chor kotwal ko daate (the thief scolds the policeman),? he said.

?Empty vessel makes larger noises,? he said referring to BJP really.

?Congress has taken path breaking and ground breaking steps to combat both misconduct and corruption,? said Singhvi.

He said Congress has now a roadmap against corruption as enumerated by party president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress spokesperson called the Prime Minister ?bold and forthcoming?.

The NDA pointed its guns at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a massive anti-corruption rally here on Wednesday, targeting him specifically for refusing to concede to Opposition?s demand for a JPC probe into the 2G scam.

Veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime minister LK Advani, warning of more intensified protests, said, ?Our movement will reach villages. This is the beginning of our tirade against the PM.

?He will be the focus of our fight against corruption that will be held nationwide.?

Making a ?final appeal? to Singh to accept the JPC demand, Advani said, ?Please accept the demand and say what you want to say (at the JPC)?

Hinting that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi could be one dictating the government?s firm opposition to JPC, the BJP leader said, ?You (the PM) have the right to accept our demand. No one can stop you.?

?If the prime minister did not agree, 2010 would be remembered as the ‘year of corruption’ and of ‘stinking scams’,? Advani added.

Leaders of NDA allies Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena and Akali Dal also attended the rally.