Congress rejects BJP criticism over silence on corruption

NEW DELHI - The Congress Tuesday rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) criticism that it was silent on the corruption allegations surrounding the Adarsh housing society and Commonwealth Games and asserted that probes had been launched into the allegations of wrongdoing.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said that inquiries were already being conducted into allegations of wrongdoing and the party would wait for the reports.

He said that corruption was a big issue and had been been discussed many times.

Singh said the All India Congress Committee meeting Tuesday had not passed any resolution but only made a statement.

“The prime minister has formed a committee to look into the Commonwealth Games (CWG) misdoings,” he said, adding that probe is being conducted by other agencies as well and raids had been conducted.

On the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam, he said: “A.K. Antony and Pranab Mukherjee have been given the responsibility to inquire into it… Things will follow.”

He said the names of Shiv Sena leaders have also cropped up regarding the Adarsh housing issue.

Earlier, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman attacked the Congress, accusing it of remaining silent on corruption.

“Everyone knows a probe is on. But the chief minister’s (Ashok Chavan) resignation has not been accepted by the party. The party is silent on corruption. Has it become neutral towards corruption,” she said at a press conference.

She also termed the Congress linking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with terror as a “diversionary tactics”.

The BJP has asked for immediate sacking of Chavan over the Adarsh Housing Society scam, built on land earmarked for the families of Kargil martyrs, and the allotment of flats in the multi-storey building to civilians, including his own relatives.

The party has also demanded an inquiry into the scam by a Supreme Court judge.