'India won't forgive oppn for Parliament washout'

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday rejected the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam and hit out at the opposition, saying that the country will not forget and forgive them for the wastage of an entire session of Parliament.

In her address to the Congress Parliamentary Party general body meeting in Delhi, she slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of corruption while referring to the developments in Karnataka and the circumstances in which Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was allowed to continue despite the charges of corruption against him.

Turning down the Opposition demand for a JPC into the 2G spectrum issue, Gandhi said there was no need for a JPC when the Public Accounts Committee and the Central Bureau of Investigation were looking into the case, the Supreme Court was monitoring it and a retired apex court judge was inquiring into the matter, according to party MPs who attended the meeting.

Later, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that the Congress president maintained that it is a painful truth that corruption exists.

Speaking on the opposition not allowing Parliament to function, Gandhi said, "That's their choice".

The Congress president said the countrymen will not forget and forgive the opposition for the wastage of an entire session. She said that the Congress has shown great consistency in taking action against corruption and ministers even without 'concrete legal conviction'.

"In contrast, the BJP, not only in Karnataka but right from Tehelka, right from so many other scams during the (regime of the) National Democratic Alliance has consistently overlooked, brushed aside or supported the situation of corruption," she said.

Gandhi, while congratulating Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the nine per cent GDP growth in the country, also underlined the party's principle to achieve 'inclusive growth' and not forget the aam aadmi.