Rahul attacks PM over Azad's suspension, demands probe into DDCA’s affairs

Lucknow: Rahul Gandhi on Thursday pilloried Prime Minister Narendra Modi over suspension of BJP MP Kirti Azad who has been leading a campaign against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on alleged corruption in Delhi cricket body, reminding him of his "na khaoonga na khaney doonga" poll slogan.

"During election campaign, Modi spoke about scams and said he would not allow corruption. But now scams are taking place and the latest is the cricket scam, and the MP who raised it has been suspended (from the BJP)," the Congress vice president told reporters on his way back to Delhi after a two-day visit to Amethi.

Tearing into the Prime Minister's promise to root out corruption, the Congress leader said, "Modi used to say 'na khaoonga, na khaney doonga' (will not engage in corruption myself, nor will allow others). But today he is silent. People have started losing faith."

Rahul said Modi should take action and conduct inquiry into affairs of Delhi and District Cricket Association(DDCA) of which Jaitley was the president for 13 years till 2013.

The opposition party also hailed Azad as "whistleblower" ruing that instead of taking purposive action in the matter, the BJP leadership thought it fit to "shoot down the messenger". It wondered whether suspending a party member who "exposed" corruption is the new meaning of promised "achche din", a reference to PM's poll slogan .

At the AICC briefing in Delhi, former Law Minister Ashwini Kumar questioned the NDA government over its "benchmark on corruption" reminding the BJP that it used to make an issue of such incidents during the UPA regime.

"Amidst expectations of a fair and credible probe into the DDCA scam and demands that the Prime Minister sack his Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure probity in public life, Modi has done the opposite. The Congress party is forced to ask as to why are the Prime Minister and BJP shielding, supporting and protecting perpetrators of corruption," Kumar told reporters.

Rahul said Modi should take action and conduct inquiry into affairs of Delhi and District Cricket Association(DDCA)of which Jaitley was the president for 13 years till 2013.

In a sharp retort, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that while AAP has "lowered the dignity" in speech, the BJP has "lowered the dignity in action".

"Having cited the example of L K Advani, who had resigned from the Cabinet pending the High Court decision in the Hawala case, why is the Prime Minister not asking his Finance Minister to emulate the example of Advani.

"Considering the benchmark established by the BJP during the UPA government for seeking the resignation of UPA Minister, why the double standards now," Kumar said.

His remarks came a day after BJP cracked the whip and suspended cricketer-turned-MP Azad, charging him with indulging in anti-party activities and accusing him of "colluding" with Congress and AAP to bring it to "disrepute".

A day after winter session of Parliament concluded, Rahul went full throttle against the NDA government and lashed out at the Prime Minister on the issue of unprecedented price rise and took a dig at his foreign tours, saying such trips would not benefit the country.

During his stay in Amethi, he addressed some roadside meetings yesterday during which he intensified his attack on the Modi government over price rise, saying 'achhe din' have come only for the Prime Minister and not the common man.

"The aam aadmi is groaning under unprecedented price rise. It is no achhe din (good times) for them. It is ache din only for the Prime Minister," he said.

Rahul, who led the opposition attack against the NDA government within and outside Parliament, said only his party was fighting strongly against BJP on the price front.

"BJP is responsible for the unprecedented price rise in the country," he said, adding, "inflation is at its peak. Nothing has been done for farmers and the youth".

He alleged that wherever Modi went for election campaign, he tried to create Hindu-Muslim divide for the sake of votes. Rahul also accused the Centre of meting out "step motherly" treatment to his constituency Amethi.

He asked village heads to raise their voice against cancellation of food park and paper mill projects in Amethi and said Congress wanted all welfare schemes of the Centre and the state to be implemented through gram pradhans.

He said that after 1989, governments were formed in Uttar Pradesh on caste and religious lines, due to which development took a backseat and the state became backward.

"Congress will spring a surprise in the 2017 Assembly polls," he added.