Sonia attacks BJP's 'double standards' on corruption

LUCKNOW: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has questioned the Bharatiya Janata Paty’s locus standi on the issue of corruption.

Addressing a rally in Allahabad to celebrate the party’s 125 years of inception, Sonia Gandhi said that opposition parties should take a cue from Congress and ‘clean their stable’ of corrupt leaders.

“I would like to tell all opposition parties that they should refrain from following double standards on the issue of corruption and take effective measures as done by the Congress and the UPA government,” she said.

She claimed that Congress was not like other parties, which turn a blind eye to corruption by own leaders, and cry hoarse when a rival politician is involved. She asked opposition parties to adopt strict measures to end the culture of graft and corruption.

She backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had come under the Opposition attack on the alleged scam over 2G spectrum allocation and said that corruption should not be allowed to impede the economic growth of the nation.
Targeting the Mayawati government, she said corruption was hampering the growth the of Uttar Pradesh. She called upon the youth to ensure that there is no corruption in implementation of welfare schemes.

Sonia Gandhi said that it was up to the party workers to raise awareness among the masses and keep a vigil so that the fruits of various welfare schemes actually reach the common man and the money being sent by the centre for development projects is properly utilised.

Sonia Gandhi's visit to Allahabad was marked by some youths affiliated to the Samajwadi Party showing her black flags to highlight their demand for restoration of student union polls in the state universities and colleges.