UPA’s credibility in shambles: L K Advani

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch L K Advani has said the credibility of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre is in shambles owing to the spate of corruption scandals.

“Having identified ?credibility? as the most important attribute of an individual or an organization. I would like to affirm that today, the Manmohan Singh Government?s credibility is in a shambles,” he wrote in his latest blog referring to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) issue that left the image of the PM bruised.

He referred to articles in newspapers and magazines to highlight that the striking down of the appointment of P J Thomas as the CVC, the top corruption watchdog of the nation, for his tainted past was more an indictment of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, who were the panelists to choose him, than the man in controversy himself.

He said the bigger tragedy is that in the matter of pre-empting wrongdoing by scamsters Government has totally abdicated its responsibility.

“So, whether it is the case of Thomas or Raja, or Hasan Ali, or Commonwealth Games officials, it is repeatedly the Supreme Court that has had to take action, rather than Government. It is this that highlights the fact that with the U.P.A. Government far more serious than its governance deficit is its ethical deficit,” he said.

He said the word “credibility” is the most striking word for him as he had told an interviewer long back.

He said the day the Babri structure was brought down was the saddest in his life because it had affected the credibility of his party.

“In an article for the Indian Express published in two parts on December 27 and 28, 1992 I had described the genesis and evolution of the Ayodhya movement, and had gone on to describe in that article that Dec. 6, 1992, the day the disputed structure at Ayodhya had been pulled down was ‘the saddest day in my life’.

“Some colleagues had criticized me for the above statement saying:’Why are you being apologetic about the development?.’ My reaction was:’I am not at all apologetic. Indeed, I am proud of my association with the Ayodhya movement. But I am extremely sad that our party?s credibility has been badly dented by the happenings of December 6,” he wrote.

He said he felt sad that a meticulously drawn up plan of action, whereunder the U.P. Government was steadily marching forward towards discharging its mandate regarding temple construction without violating any law or disregarding any court order has gone awry (because of the demolition).