Remove corrupt UPA government: Gadkari

NEW DELHI - Calling upon the people to replace the corrupt” United Progressive Alliance government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi should reveal who was responsible for scams relating to 2G spectrum allocation, the Commonwealth Games (CWG) preparations and Mumbai’s Adarsh Housing Society.

Addressing the “mahasangram rally” of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) here, Gadkari Gadkari said the government should come clean on why it was not conceding the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum controversy.

He said the NDA will hold rallies in various pars of the country with the slogan “Takht badal do, Taaj badal do, Bhrashtachariyon ka raj badal do (Change the rule of the corrupt).”

Gadkari alleged that the prime minister had approved the hiked outlays sought by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

PMO gave the approvals. Who is responsible, Gadkari asked, adding that the “CWG scam involved Rs 70,000 crore.”

He said the prime minister had approved the appointment of P.J. Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner despite reservations expressed by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj due to a graft case pending against him.

Gadkari also attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for allegations against Congress leaders in the Adarsh Housing Society scam in which land meant for building flats for Kargil war heroes and widows was usurped by senior military officer, politicians and bureaucrats.