BJP asks Cong to look within instead of criticising opposition

New Delhi, Jun 5: Taking offence at the attack on the Opposition by the

Working Committee at its conclave,

on Tuesday asked Congress to first look within saying its own leaders and coalition partners were responsible for the corruption in the

government.

"They have a right to criticise us and we have no objection to that. They have nothing to say about their own achievements but the manner in which the Opposition was criticised without any basis is unfortunate," chief BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Earlier, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and alleged that the Opposition was unduly critical of the government. "The almost reckless criticism of the Opposition for articulating the inefficiency and corruption of this government is truly surprising," Prasad said, adding that this was despite over 40 Congress leaders conveying their "deep concern" at the conclave on price rise and rampant corruption that had dented the government's image.

BJP charged that both Sonia Gandhi and Singh have tried to run away from the "stark reality". "To live in chronic denial is the DNA of the Congress. It tries to run away from reality," Prasad said. He also rubbished allegations of "conspiracy theories" being at work against the Congress. "Congress should remember that this always fails. During the JP movement in the 1970s, Indira Gandhi and Dev Kant Baruah, the then Congress President, alleged that JP is a leader of a group of conspirators. Then in 1987-88, during the Bofors scam they did the same. And now now. But they must keep in mind that this is the India of 2012, a changed India," Prasad said.

PTI