BANGALORE: Thousands of people late Sunday braved a heavy downpour in Bangalore to cheer senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani as he blasted the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government over corruption.
“I have not seen such a corrupt government in the country,” Advani said addressing a public meeting as part of his nation-wide anti-corruption tour – Jan Chetna Yatra.
He made a passing reference to the scandals rocking his party government in the state without taking the name of jailed former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, arrested in two corruption cases.
“We will not compromise on corruption in our party’s governments. As soon Lokayukta (ombudsman) gave the report, action was taken,” he said.
Yeddyurappa, the party first chief minister in south India, quit July 31 after the then Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, in his July 27 report on illegal mining, recommended his trial for graft in the scam.Advani said: “The new chief minister (D. V. Sadananda Gowda) is going in right direction and hope he will give good administration.” Gowda assumed office Aug 4.
Advani said he considered the cash-for-vote scandal that rocked the parliament in 2008 greater scandal than the 2G spectrum allocation scandal.
On July 22, 2008, three BJP MPs waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.
Manmohan Singh sought the vote following the withdrawal of support from the Left parties protesting the civil nuclear agreement with the US.
“The Congress used all its members and allies to buy votes and no Congressman can say that he/she is innocent,” Advani asserted.
He hailed the three BJP Lok Sabha members who displayed the cash in the house as “heroes”.(IANS)