When Cong was indulging in scams, Rahul was silent,BJP retorts

New Delhi, Jul 9: Rahul Gandhi's jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Vyapam scam invited sharp retort from BJP which reminded him of his "silence" over scams exposed during the UPA dispensation and said unlike Congress its government had gone for a CBI probe.

"Unlike Congress and Rahul Gandhi, we are not hushing up corruption cases and nor are we searching for ways to escape from courts' scrutiny. BJP leaders have gone to the High Court and Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe.

When Congress was indulging in scams, then Gandhi was silent," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain. The Congress vice president targeted Modi over his alleged failure to check corruption, reminding him of his remark that he will neither engage in graft himself nor allow others.

"I have just one question. Mr Prime Minister, what you say must carry weight. "You said 'na khaoonga, na khane doonga' (will not engage in corruption myself, nor allow others). Why are you allowing corruption in Rajasthan? What are you doing to bring back Lalit Modi? Why are you not acting against Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Gandhi said earlier in the day.

There is no charge against Chouhan and people involved in the scam are being probed, Hussain said. Another BJP spokesperson, Nalin Kohli, took a dig at Gandhi, saying his statement today was meant to "register his presence" following his return from a trip abroad. He should worry that he does not spend more than 182 days abroad or he will become non-resident leader of Congress, Kohli retorted.

"Gandhi has to make up for the time he spends abroad... The questions are coming only to register his presence. As always he will make the allegation and disappear, expecting BJP to stop its work and start reacting to a speech chosen for media coverage," he said.

PTI