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BJP Govt. indulging in open loot: Patel

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV 22. The All-India Congress Committee leader in charge of Delhi, Ahmed Patel, today lashed out at the Vajpayee Government for "patronising corruption in every sphere" and accused the BJP-led Central Government of indulging in open loot of the Exchequer and valuable assets of the nation. Terrorism had raised its ugly head and intensified during the last five years of the NDA Government with comprises taking place on the internal and external security fronts, he charged.

Addressing a series of election meetings in favour of the Congress candidates in the Capital here, Mr. Patel said the latest bribe taking scandal had exposed the real face of the BJP-led Government at the Centre. Earlier, he said it was the BJP national president, Bangaru Laxman, who was caught on camera accepting bribe, and now it was the Union Minister of State for Environment, Dilip Singh Judeo, who had been caught red-handed taking bribe. "Those who were talking about corruption in the Congress were today the most corrupt, involved neck-deep in clandestine activities." He said the BJP had time and again raked up the issue of wrongdoing in Bofors and Airbus deals. "However, even after so much witch-hunting they have found nothing in the Bofors case and had withdrawn themselves in the Airbus case allegations. The BJP has nowhere to hide its face. This Government has been rocked by one scam after another but they are shamelessly hanging on to power. They are bent upon selling the valuable assets of the nation in the name of disinvestment which has been opposed by the Congress,'' he told a gathering at Tilak Nagar. Later, Mr. Patel addressed meetings at Nasirpur, Saket and Hastsal.

Urging the people to vote for the Congress, Mr. Patel said the party was seeking votes in the name of development and good governance but the BJP was seeking votes in the name of religion and negative issues exploiting the sentiments of the people. Taking a potshot at the Delhi BJP leader, Madan Lal Khurana, for talking about scams, Mr. Patel sought to know from him who was responsible for the Unit-64 scam which ruined the life savings of 2.5 crore people in one stroke. He said what had Mr. Khurana and other BJP leaders to say about the bribes taking in purchase of coffins for the Kargil war martyrs.

"The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, has no answer to the questions raised by the Congress on the defence issues including bribes in purchase of defence equipment." Mr. Patel said the Congress Government had done tremendous work in the Capital during the past five years and this fact was not hidden from the people. The Congress has a vision for the future of the Capital and its people but the BJP has nothing but to talk on religious and caste lines.

Mr. Patel said it was under the NDA Government that the internal and external security of the country had been compromised and the enemy had gathered the courage to cross our borders.

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