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April 21, 2001

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Sonia blames NDA for spate of scams

Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government on Saturday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi blamed the Centre's "erroneous policies" for the spate of scams in recent days.

"The Tehelka, BALCO, customs, telecom and share scams are the result of the NDA government's wrong policies," Gandhi said, adding that not a single ministry had been spared of corruption charges.

She was addressing a 'smarnanjali' (remembrance) rally at the Cooperage ground in south Bombay after unveiling a life-size statue of her husband, the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In her hard-hitting speech in chaste Hindi that lasted 15 minutes, Gandhi slammed the BJP, saying, "Imaandari ki baatein karnewale beimaani ki misaal ban gaye hain [those who harped on honesty have themselves become prime examples of dishonesty]."

Referring to tehelka.com's expose on fictitious defence deals, the Congress president said the country's security was not safe with the BJP at the helm of affairs.

She said that under the NDA, corruption had become rampant in all spheres of life and asked how the country could progress under such a dispensation.

Sharply criticising the Centre's "misgovernance", the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the economy had slowed down, more and more farmers were committing suicide and there was a slump in industry and scams in the stock markets.

"We must unitedly fight this corrupt regime," she said and urged Congressmen to participate in the nation-wide agitational programme announced by her.

Gandhi alleged that the BJP government, in an attempt to deflect the charges of corruption levelled against it, was pointing fingers at leaders who had laid down their lives for the country.

She was apparently referring to Rajiv Gandhi, whose name figures in the Bofors payoff case.

She warned the Centre that it could not change history by resorting to a "misinformation campaign".

Without naming anyone, she said the Centre was applying one set of rules to those accused of corruption and another to those against whom there was clear evidence of wrongdoing.

No section of society was satisfied with the NDA government, she remarked.

Gandhi also accused the Centre of doing away with age-old conventions and system.

Touching upon Bombay's importance in her life, Gandhi said her late husband was born in this city and it was from here that Mahatma Gandhi had given the clarion call of "do or die" in August 1942.

She said, however, that she would not want to comment on the stance adopted in those days by some people who are now in power.

She eulogised Rajiv Gandhi's contribution as prime minister, saying that in the short span of time that he led the country, he laid the foundations for India's progress in the 21st century.

Gandhi later called on film star and senior Congress leader Sunil Dutt, MP, who is convalescing at the Breach Candy Hospital, and inquired about his health.

Dutt had a narrow escape when a private aircraft bringing him to the metropolis on March 26 crashlanded at Bahaduri village in Chandav taluka of Nasik district.

PTI

The Tehelka Expose: The complete coverage

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