Corruption is not an aberration Dr. Manmohan Singh but the result of inaction, indifference and collusion of your Government

Statement of Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
MP, General Secretary & Chief Spokesperson, BJP

Corruption is not an aberration Dr. Manmohan Singh but the result
of inaction, indifference and collusion of your Government

The Prime Minister has talked to a group of Editors yesterday and his comments, observations and responses has now been widely covered. They are not only unsatisfactory highly elusive but also deeply deplorable. Today, the entire country is very distressed and angry over a series of massive corruption of the UPA Government and wants answers and action. The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan singh was in a “silent mode” for a long time and when he has spoken instead of openly acknowledging it and assuring the country about effective action has said that “Instances of corruption were just aberrations”. He has further said that “the world of uncertainty under which the UPA was operating in assessing its policy decisions and their implementations needs to be factored in”. This is an alibi of delusion.

The BJP would like the Prime Minister to answer the following questions.

1. When large scale irregularity and corruption was being committed in the allotment of 2G licences and when he himself wrote to the then Telecommunication Minister on 02/11/2007 for transparent mechanism and when Mr. A. Raja refused to follow his directive then under what state of uncertainty he did not take action expected of him as a Prime Minister when 1.7 lacs crores (approx) of public money was being looted?
2. What State of uncertainty compelled him not to take note of series of objections raised by senior civil servants in the Ministry of Telecom and Ministry of Finance that spectrum a precious wealth of the nation was being sold very cheap in the 2G licenses?
   
   
3. What was the state of uncertainty which led him to describe the then Telecom Minister Mr. A Raja as innocent on 26/10/2009 when the CBI inquiry had already been ordered on 21/10/2009 and repeat it in 2010?
4. When massive irregularity was being committed in the Commonwealth Games, most of the clearances for enhance fund allocation and resulting corruption was approved by the cabinet Sub-committee, Group of Ministers, Expenditure Finance Committee, PMO and lastly even the Prime Minister. What is the state of uncertainty because of which in spite of his public declaration Dr. Manmohan Singh is refusing to take action in the light of Shunglu Committee Report whereby serious strictures has been passed against Mrs. Sheila Dixit Government and other high-ups in the State and Central Government, whose criminal complicity has been specifically directed to be investigated?
5. What was the state of uncertainty under which Dr. Manmohan Singh was forced to appoint P J Thomas as CVC even though he was facing prosecution in the corruption case which the Supreme Court quashed with serious strictures against the appointment process?
6. What was the state of uncertainty under which Dr. Manmohan Singh Government recommended to the President to reject the conclusive finding of the Lokayukta of Delhi recommending the removal of Delhi Minister Mr. Rajkumar Chauhan for abuse of authority and corruption?
7. What prevents you Dr. Manmohan Singh to tell the nation as to how many Indians are being prosecuted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as amended in 2005 and in respect of how many the foreign Banks have been approached to take follow up actions where they are having their accounts?

The above are only illustrative and not exhaustive. Corruption is not an aberration Dr. Manmohan Singh but the most defining and yet deplorable feature of your Government. There was no state of uncertainty but public money was systematically looted because of conspiracy of silence, culpable inaction and gross indifference by you and your Government. The people of the country have every bona-fide reason to infer that the Government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh is the most corrupt Government since independence. But for strong opposition inside and outside of the Parliament by the BJP and others, effective campaign by the media and monitoring by the Supreme Court no action would have been taken.

Criticism of CAG most unwarranted

The Prime Minister in his comments to the Editors has also made a most unwarranted comments against the CAG that it is commenting on Policy issue. This is deeply regrettable. Dr. Manmohan Singh with his vast bureaucratic and governmental experience surely knows that the manner of implementation of policy can certainly be examined by the CAG and there is a whole constitutional process about its preparation and acceptance by the Parliament. In the case of 2G licences the CAG has examined very serious infirmities and irregularities in the implementation of the policy of allotment. Most of its conclusions have been found to be correct in the investigation by the CBI being conduced under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. In spite of this if the PM has chosen to publicly criticise the CAG, then this is a serious matter concerning probity and propriety in our governance.