New Delhi, December 03: On a day when BJP claimed greater Opposition unity on the issue of 2G spectrum scam, Congress today hit out at the party accusing it of doing “no better than a drama company” on corruption.
Giving examples of corruption cases during NDA regime, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that in none of these cases the then central government had offered any Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe and there was “no CBI, no ED, no JPC” to investigate the matter.
“On the issue of corruption, BJP can do and does no better than a drama company. It indulges in mere breast-beating with a double face and forked tongue,” he said.
He accused the main opposition party of practising “not only double standards but crass hypocrisy” on the issue.
“It’s difficult for any government to guarantee absence of allegations of corruption but important issue is how they are reacted to and dealt with,” the Congress spokesman said.
He said, “those who are preaching far and wide to us and the country have an abysmal record in practising firm action (against corruption)…For BJP morality is selective and accusation is expedient.”
Singhvi named Kargil Coffin scam, Tehelka defence scandal, petrol pumps allocation in 2002 and disinvestment episode as well as the recent land controversy in Karnataka as examples saying BJP failed to act in any of them.
Alleging that “Karnataka re-defines corruption”, he said BJP’s response on the issue of taking action against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was one of “abject surrender” in place of firm action and “punishment substituted by approbation and legitimisation”.
Singhvi refused to make comments on the observations of the Supreme Court, which today virtually questioned the tenability of Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas supervising the CBI’s investigations into the 2G spectrum scandal as he himself was Telecom Secretary at the relevant point of time.
“The SC is hearing the case for many weeks and will hear it possibly for many days. During such hearings, many observations are made. It will not be proper to make comments in a press conference on such observations,” he said adding, that everybody should wait the court gives a judgement.
He also refused to answer a question whether the CVC should continue in his office saying these matters fall in the domain of the government of India and Home Ministry and the questions should be asked to them.
Singhvi also cautioned against “short-circuiting issues” and “second guessing” in an on-going investigation when asked whether Suresh Kalmadi should resign from the party in the wake of CBI filing cases against Commonwealth Games Organising Committee officials today.
–PTI