BJP to launch protest against Centre, UP govt on corruption

Lucknow, Apr 2: The BJP today said it will launch a series of rallies from April 9 in Uttar Pradesh to protest price rise and "corruption" in the state government.

"These rallies, to be addressed by party president Nitin Gadkari, will be organised at Meerut, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Faizabad and Agra," BJP spokesman Ravi Shanker Prasad told reporters here.

He said these rallies will focus on inflation, alleged corruption of Mayawati government, atrocities against dalit women and poor law and order situation in the state.

Terming SP and BSP as the "two pillar of corruption" of the union government, Prasad said, "While BSP's letter of support still exist, Mulayam Singh Yadav is too eager to enter the government. When signals were coming from south regarding threat to the UPA government he went to the extent of saying that there was no threat to the government," Prasad said.

He said that when a cut motion was brought in the Parliament in April last year, BSP had said it would not let the government fall.

"There are host of scams including CWG, 2G spectrum and Hasan Ali case," he said.

Without naming P J Thomas, Prasad said despite Sushma Swaraj's opposition, a tainted person was intentionally appointed as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, which was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

On inflation, he said while price rise continues unabated, the government has no road map to check it.

Prasad said it was unfortunate that atrocities were being committed against women in UP, which have a woman chief minister. "Six MLAs of the ruling party are accused in rape cases," he alleged.

On Wikileaks exposure where BJP leader Arun Jaitley was quoted as saying to Robert Blake, the Charge at the US Embassy in Delhi, that the party's Hindutva ideology is opportunistic, Prasad said the cables were personal assessments of the US ambassador and there was nothing to worry with these "small leaks" unless and until their is any interference in foreign policy and internal matters.

On central cabinet's decision to give concession to ICC in tax, the BJP leader demanded that the government should disclose why it was done.

"Cabinet minister Sharad Pawar is also chairman of ICC, how can he attend the cabinet meeting?" he asked.

PTI