Rajnath slams UPA over price rise, corruption

Rajnath slams UPA over price rise, corruption
Bhubaneswar, (visakeo) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh Monday criticised the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for ‘its failure to tackle’ the issues of price rise, corruption and black money.
Addressing a press conference here, the former BJP president said: ‘India today is facing a crisis on its economic front as the spiralling prices of essential commodities have made the survival of common man extremely difficult.’

Slamming the UPA Government at the Centre for rampart corruption, black money and faulty economic policy, former BJP national president Rajnath Singh on Monday demanded that the Prime Minister publish a White Paper on black money and corruption to let the countrymen know the action plan of his Government for recovery of illegal assets stashed in banks and other financial institutions in foreign countries.

Speaking at a Press conference here, Singh flayed the UPA Government for its lackadaisical attitude to rein corruption and black money. “It lacks political will power and any definite action plan to counter corruption and bring back black money,” he said and questioned the delay on the part of the Centre in initiating a process for assets recovery as India has ratified the United Nation’s convention against corruption.

He alleged that the UPA Government's stance on key issues like corruption and black money seems “selective and evasive. He demanded that the Government convene a special session of Parliament after the monsoon session to discuss the issue. “If the Government is so serious in its intent and commitment, it must convene a special session of Parliament to discuss and formulate a national policy against black money and corruption which could serve as a guideline for all incumbent Governments,” he said.

Singh also flayed the Centre for its approach to gag those raising their voice against corruption. The Government had no hesitation in ordering a barbaric crack on Baba Ramdev and his followers who were peacefully demanding repatriation of black money from abroad, he said.

Stating that the BJP was not selective in supporting Baba Ramdev's movement, he said, “BJP would extend its moral support to anybody or organisation, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, who would launch a movement to fight against corruption.” He urged the Baba to reach out to the people to spread his message against corruption. He favoured a multi-pronged and time-bound strategy against corruption.

Singh was also critical of the economic management of the UPA Government and alleged that due to its wrong lack of a comprehensive policy and corruption, the prices of essential commodities were spiralling. He demanded that the Centre constitute a national price stabilisation fund or formulate a price stabilisation policy to neutralise the price rise, particularly taking into account the hike in petroleum prices.

He criticised the Centre's plea that the hike in the price of per barrel oil in international market led to the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel in India and asked the Prime Minister to explain the fact that despite the fluctuations in the world market how petroleum products were being sold in neighbouring China and Pakistan at much lower prices. “The UPA Government is more concerned about profit for petroleum companies than the interests of common man,” he said.

On the conviction of Tahawwur Rana pronounced by a federal jury in Chicago for providing material support to LeT, Singh said the UPA Government has another chance to put pressure on Pakistan and the ISI. “The Centre should leverage its status of a strategic partner with the USA to expose the nexus between the ISI, LeT and Pakistan Government and put diplomatic pressure on international community to get the ISI declared a terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council,” he said.