BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi hits out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on graft issue

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's comments today that attempts to create a mindless atmosphere of pessimism was not good drew criticism from the BJP which warned that use of government machinery to promote corruption would lead to disaster.

Singh, whose government has come under fire from opposition and civil activists on the graft issue, said at a function here, "The mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do us no good."

Asked about this, BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi retorted, "The mindful application of government machinery and the legal system to promote corruption will certainly lead us to disaster."

BJP has been accusing the government of "misusing" CBI and other agencies to target the opposition while also protecting the interests of some.

Joshi made a fresh demand for a probe into the alleged financial wrongdoings of Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.

On Vadra not clarifying his stand against the charges levelled against him by activist Arvind Kejriwal, Joshi said, "The party has demanded that everything should be investigated and true facts should be brought before us. And if there is bungling and misappropriation the whole thing should be brought before a court of law."