Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on Thursday accused the Congress of adopting aggressive methods to suppress voices of dissent and those being raised against corruption. These were signs of that the government led by it was on its way out, he said.
“Mega campaign”
Mr. Advani was launching a “mega campaign against corruption,” organised by the Delhi unit of the party at the Talkatora Stadium here on the occasion of the 58th death anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
He said the Congress-led government was now fearful and unsure of the consequences of people's action against corruption. This was the reason why it was resorting to strong-arm tactics to suppress people's voice, he alleged.
Flays Ramlila action
“The action against Baba Ramdev and sleeping satyagrahis at the Ramlila grounds just goes to show how this government now wants to silence the voices of reasoning through the use of batons and bullets,'' he said.
Mr. Advani noted that this was an indicator of this government's impending downfall. The BJP workers should prepare for a long battle ahead against “this rule of terror and oppression.”
“The country does not want to endure this corrupt government for a day more. We should be prepared to use reason and public support to bring down this government,” he said.
The Congress had become synonymous with corruption and charges have sullied almost all its leaders. Things had come to such a pass that the Union Finance Minister was charging his own government with installing 16 bugging devices in his chambers without his knowledge. “This is not an ordinary incident. The Prime Minister should give an explanation. This matter would be vociferously raised in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament,” he said.
Black money
On the issue of bringing back black money from abroad, he said the government's posturing on the issue was both condemnable and shameful. “Those raising their voices against black money are being oppressed.”
Mr. Advani called upon the party workers to join hands with people to spread the message of the “mega campaign against corruption.”
Administers oath
BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar administered an oath to party workers to work for dislodging the Congress-led government at the Centre.
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly V.K. Malhotra said the BJP's history was one of sacrifices and it would not be cowed down by batons or bullets.
He termed the Congress governments at the Centre and in Delhi “the most corrupt ever.”
