If L K Advani doesn't trust Narendra Modi, how can country trust him: Congress

MUMBAI: Congress on Thursday claimed there was a "trust deficit" among BJP leaders and took a dig at the saffron party asking how the country could trust its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, when senior party leader L K Advani did not.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in less than 24 hours the country had seen the true face of the BJP.

"Advani was okay with his long time constituency, Gandhinagar, till recently, but is now running away from it to a safe Bhopal because he is fearful of sabotage by Modi who sees him as a competitor for the post (Prime Minister)," Singhvi said.

"Congress is not interested in the internal matters of BJP, but the issue here is about complete and total trust deficit and hence we wanted to ask how can the nation trust Modi when the party's supreme leader Advani does not," Singhvi said.

"BJP is a party with differences where leaders are together with a blind ambition, and lust for power keeps them together," he said.

Singhvi also criticised BJP for giving Lok Sabha tickets to Hukum Singh and Sanjeev Baliyan, accused in the Muzaffarnagar riot cases.

"This is the communal face of BJP which is out in the open despite efforts to camouflage it," he said, adding that BJP rewarded those who divided, incited, provoked and caused deaths, while swearing by united India.

To a question on candidature of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan from Nanded despite the Adarsh scam taint, Singhvi said the matter was sub-judice.

"There is no case against him at present. CBI has not been given sanction to prosecute him and the decision has been challenged. As of now there is a question mark on the accusation," he added.