The Hindu : National : Sushma links Quattrocchi row with Sonia's foreign origin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 23, 2006

National

National

Sushma links Quattrocchi row with Sonia's foreign origin

Sushanta Talukdar

"UPA Government indulging in rampant corruption"

Guwahati: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj on Sunday sought to link Congress president Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin to defreezing of Ottavio Quattrocchi's bank accounts.

She alleged that it was Ms. Gandhi who had a link with Mr. Quattrocchi and there was no point blaming others as neither Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nor Law Minister Hansraj Bharadwaj nor the CBI had any relation with the Italian businessman, Ms. Swaraj said while addressing an women's rally organised by the women's wing of her party in Assam.

Ms. Swaraj and her husband Swaraj Kaushal offered to resign their Rajya Sabha membership if Congress president Sonia Gandhi became Prime Minister.

The senior BJP leader also accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government of indulging in rampant corruption. Ms. Swaraj said Sunday's women's rally at Guwahati signalled the beginning of the end of Congress rule in Assam.

Addressing the rally, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and party member Smriti Irani appealed the women to rally behind the BJP to overthrow the "corrupt and inefficient" Congress government in the coming Assembly elections.

They alleged that women have become most insecure under the Congress rule in Assam as the crime against women have surpassed all past records.

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