Congress is synonymous with corruption: BJP

Coimbatore, Jan 29: The BJP today hit out at the Congress alleging that it's synonymous with corruption and asked the party vice president Rahul Gandhi to visit Kerala and "apologise to the people" in the wake of the allegations against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the solar scam.

"Rahul Gandhi, instead of giving sermons or visiting states, should first visit Kerala and apologise to the people on the happenings," BJP National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao told reporters here.

Alleging that "Congress and corruption are synonymous", Rao, who is here to oversee the arrangement for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on February 2, claimed Chandy would increasingly be a liability to the state and his party.

About seeking Chandy's resignation, Rao said, "Kerala people have already sought it and they are yearning for a Congress-mukth-Kerala (Congress-free Kerala), on the lines of Congress-mukth Bharath, coined by BJP."

On Chandy stating that the allegations levelled against him were handiwork of Opposition parties, Rao shot back, "Who is Saritha? Not from BJP or CPI-M....and the trial court, which asked to register FIR against him, is not a BJP court."

The prime accused in the solar scam case, Saritha S Nair, while deposing before a probe commission, had alleged she paid bribes to the tune of Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of Chief Minister Chandy and Rs 40 lakh to Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed. Both have denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, on the Congress party appeal against the dissolution of Arunachal Pradesh government, Rao said the President had given his assent based on the recommendations of the Union Home Ministry.

"Moreover, it's a border and sensitive state and political parties should not politicise the issue," Rao said.

Stating that the Narendra Modi-led government has done a lot of things for Tamil Nadu and focused on growth of the state, he said diplomatic efforts by the government has reduced Sri Lanka-Indian fishermen tension.

PTI