Kolkata, February 15 (PTI): Scenting success on Opposition clamour for a Joint Parliamentary Committee, the BJP on Tuesday upped the ante demanding that the JPC should also probe CWG and the Adarsh Housing scams. Addressing a party rally here, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he sympathised with him and described him as “weak”. Seeking widening of the scope of JPC, he said, “All cases of corruption, including 2G spectrum, CWG and defence land scam (Adarsh Housing) should be probed by it.”
The BJP veteran said that a JPC probe into 2G spectrum allocation would expose the DMK but Congress’ “involvement” in CWG and Adarsh Housing scams’ would be revealed if a JPC was formed to investigate all corruption cases. Mr. Advani’s demand comes amidst indications that the government may have made up its mind on setting up the JPC to ensure that the budget session of Parliament beginning next week runs smoothly unlike the winter session which was washed out. “Not a single day passes without a corruption case cropping up,” Mr. Advani said.
On Prime Minister, whom he had attacked in earlier election campaigns, he said “I feel pity for Manmohan Singh, not angry. I have seen prime ministers since the time of Nehru, but I have never seen such a weak prime minister). “Many feel bad if he is called a weak PM. It is nice to be a gentleman. But if the gentleman is weak and becomes a prime minister, he will not do anything to tackle corruption however big it is.”
Advani said for the first time a Prime Minister of the country had to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court--on the 2G spectrum case. He claimed that unlike Congress-ruled states, the states having BJP administrations were corruption-free.
Referring to media reports about tapping of over one lakh telephones over a period, Advani said that there is a clear Supreme Court order that telephones of political leaders cannot be tapped without permission of the Union Home ministry. “Telephones of terrorists, criminals can be tapped if there is evidence. But without approval of Union Home Secretary, telephones of political leaders could not be tapped.” “Let the government spell out who those people are whose telephones have been tapped,” Advani said demanding proper inquiry into phone-tapping.
The BJP veteran said that a JPC probe into 2G spectrum allocation would expose the DMK but Congress’ “involvement” in CWG and Adarsh Housing scams’ would be revealed if a JPC was formed to investigate all corruption cases. Mr. Advani’s demand comes amidst indications that the government may have made up its mind on setting up the JPC to ensure that the budget session of Parliament beginning next week runs smoothly unlike the winter session which was washed out. “Not a single day passes without a corruption case cropping up,” Mr. Advani said.
On Prime Minister, whom he had attacked in earlier election campaigns, he said “I feel pity for Manmohan Singh, not angry. I have seen prime ministers since the time of Nehru, but I have never seen such a weak prime minister). “Many feel bad if he is called a weak PM. It is nice to be a gentleman. But if the gentleman is weak and becomes a prime minister, he will not do anything to tackle corruption however big it is.”
Advani said for the first time a Prime Minister of the country had to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court--on the 2G spectrum case. He claimed that unlike Congress-ruled states, the states having BJP administrations were corruption-free.
Referring to media reports about tapping of over one lakh telephones over a period, Advani said that there is a clear Supreme Court order that telephones of political leaders cannot be tapped without permission of the Union Home ministry. “Telephones of terrorists, criminals can be tapped if there is evidence. But without approval of Union Home Secretary, telephones of political leaders could not be tapped.” “Let the government spell out who those people are whose telephones have been tapped,” Advani said demanding proper inquiry into phone-tapping.
