Corruption single malady in the country due to Congress: LK Advani

Reacting strongly to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi?s corruption charges against the BJP, senior leader of the Opposition party LK Advani on Sunday held the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government responsible for making corruption the ?single malady in the country?.

?From Commonwealth Games to 2G Spectrum scam to certain matters in Mumbai (Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam), corruption has become the single malady in the country,? Advani said.

Maintaining that the BJP was spearheading the campaign against corruption, the former deputy prime minister said, ?I belong to a party which, as the principal Opposition in the Parliament, spearheaded campaign against corruption.?

?The last two (pre-winter) sessions in Parliament, issue of inflation was highlighted and in this Winter Session (which concluded last week) the issue of corruption was highlighted,? Advani added.

Another BJP leader Tarun Vijay, reacting to Gandhi?s remarks that Parliament cannot be held hostage to political blackmail, said the Opposition had performed its ?dharma? (duty) as spoken by Advani.

The Opposition parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had stalled almost the entire Winter Session, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G Spectrum allocation scam.

?The JPC was a constitutional demand. It would have helped Congress and BJP both and the country is above all. It would have made India’s story a better one,? Vijay maintained.

He added, ?This is time for political parties to rise about petty considerations and think on its strategy on all the areas rather than this kind of small and narrow lines.?

On Gandhi?s criticism of the BJP for failing to act tough against Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa who is allegedly involved in a land scam, Vijay said, ?Yeddurappa cannot be compared to Raja or Radia (2G scam) or Kargil martyrs (Adarsh scam).

?To compare Karnataka with most horrendous scandals in CWG, Adarsh and 2G is simply hilarious.?

Vijay also charged the Congress of having a soft corner jihadis and Naxals and people like author-activist Arundhati Roy or Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Earlier, Sonia, at the plenary session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), launched a scathing attack on the BJP on the issue of corruption and the deadlock in Parliament.

“Corruption has become a disease in our society. We cannot deny it. Right to Information (RTI) has brought a new culture of transparency and stability. There should be no tolerance for corruption or misconduct,” she said.

She attacked the BJP on the issue of corruption saying the party stalled the functioning of the Parliament but did nothing to punish its government in Karnataka.

“We made ministers resign, can BJP do it?” she asked, slamming the Opposition for holding the Parliament to ransom by political blackmail.

“We must confront corruption head on,” she said.

She also stood firmly behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh whose office was also reprimanded by the Supreme Court for inaction in the 2G scam.

He is embodiment of dignity, sobriety and integrity. Personal attack on him is regrettable,” she said, complimenting the PM for his leadership and taking the country on the path of prosperity.

“The party stands solidly behind him,” she said.