BJP is fountainhead of brokerage: Cong

New Delhi, Jul 14 (UNI) The Congress today took Mr L K Advani to task for his reported remarks that the party was earlier doing ''Lal salaam'' and now ''dalal salam,'' stating that the BJP leader had no right to make such charges as his party had put the chameleon and the horse to shame by changing its colours faster and indulging in horse trading using money power.

While Mr Advani had not cited any specific instance to support his charge against the Congress, he had failed to file an FIR against then BJP President Bangaru Laxman for taking money on camera for doing the job of a broker despite being Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Home, AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

The BJP in Karnataka had been involved in horse trading with the help of the mining mafia to secure majority in the Assembly, Mr Singhvi charged.

The spokesman said Mr Advani's statement also showed that he was suffering from selective amnesia as only a few days ago BJP leader Jaswant Singh had admitted in the presence of the Prime Ministerial candidate that the saffron party had tried to ''broker'' the Constitutional offices of the President and the Prime Minister.

Further, Mr Advani and the BJP had always talked about Hindu Rashtra, but when the elections were approaching turned their ''hatred'' for the minorities into ''love'' for them, he said, apparently referring to the saffron party leader attending a seminar on Muslim women despite holding ''visiting cards that had Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition embossed on it.'' Asked about CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan also levelling charges of horse-trading against the Congress, this showed the frustrated mindset which had placed the Left alongside the BJP in utter disregard of secularism.

Responding to queries about business houses, particularly of the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, demanding various favours to mobilise political support for the UPA and the JMM seeking the Mines portfolio for its leader Shibu Soren, Mr Singhvi said his party could not prevent people from making demands in a democracy.

In a coalition, there would always be ''give-and-take,'' but the government should be judged from the fact whether its actions were in the national interest and permissible in the rule of law, he argued.

UNI SN/SH RP NS1802