BJP campaign over corruption and price rise

New Delhi, Jan 19 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has came out all guns blazing against Central Government over the various graft allegations and the spiraling prices of the vegetables.

Addressing the media here, BJP Spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad lashed out the ruling coalition for allegedly shielding the appointment of tainted bureaucrat P. J. Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, accusing the government of weakening the institution of the country's highest watchdog.

"It is a very curious position the government of India is unabashedly trying to defend a CVC and unleashing an aggressive attack on an upright CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General). But in the process, the institutional credibility of both the institutions has been weaken," said Prasad.

Prasad also questioned Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, saying the defence of the CVC cast doubts over her party's commitment to fight corruption.

"In case of Congress leaders and workers, Madam Sonia Gandhi there is no dos and don'ts in case of CVC. Certainly the country is entitled to know. This aggressive defence of the tainted CVC raises a serious question mark on government's commitment to fight against corruption," he said.

Prasad reiterated his party's demand for the government to reveal the names of people who have money stashed in off shore safe havens and questioned the reluctance of the government to do so.

"What is the problem with the Congress? Why the reluctance? Why the dogged refusal to reveal the names of those who are having foreign accounts abroad," said Prasad.

Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Prasad accused him of failing to rein the galloping inflation.

"When the agriculture minister of the country will distance himself from the skyrocketing prices of the vegetables, so only God can save the common people of the country. Instead of questioning Sharad Pawar we will like to ask the Prime Minister, has an economist Prime Minister completely failed?" he said.

Food inflation has surged to a year-high of over 18 percent in late December.

Vegetable prices were up 3.84 percent week-on-week and have risen around 71 percent year-on-year. Onions were up nearly 2 per cent on the week and 71 per cent on an annual basis. (ANI)