Shanta Kumar lashes out at Congress, Left

Shimla, May 18 (UNI) Former union minister and veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar today lashed out at the Congress Party for failing to control the prices of essential commodities and rampant corruption and said this was being done ''to provide benefits to a few industrialists by befooling the people of the country''.

''On one hand, the Congress is responsible for price rise and corruption, on the other hand, it has failed miserably in creating basic infrastructure in the historic town of Shimla,'' he said while addressing an election meeting in support of the party candidate at Summerhill, near here.

Mr Kumar said instead of buying foodgrains directly from the farmers of the country, the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre was buying it through multinational companies (MNCs) and ensuring a hefty commission for themselves.

The Congress had no concern for the poor and the needy, he asserted.

Referring to the Left parties, he said while on one hand they were lending an outside support to the UPA government and on the other hand they were protesting the government's decision for public consumption.

People who used to raise their voices against industrialists like Tata and Birla were now taking the lives of the common man to safeguard their interests, he said.

The BJP leader said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's government office has become a den for the corrupt and those involved in collecting bribes.

Referring to the recent theft in the Chief Minister's office, he said even after a bag containing several hundred thousand rupees went missing, the government initiated no action because then it would have to explain where that money came from.

Mr Kumar said the Congress was to be blamed for Shimla town's present condition since it was in power in the corporation for several years.

Shimla, one of the historic and beautiful towns of the world, was now facing severe water crises due to the ineptitude of the present Congress Government, he said.

He said while Dubai despite being in a desert, was one of the world's richest town, the picturesqure Shimla town had been converted into a ''concrete jungle'' with complete lawlessness.

Urging the people of the town to vote for the BJP candidates, he said this besides putting an end to 21 years of mis-governence by the Congress, would help the party in restoring the town's past glory.

UNI