Probe role of Cong leaders in scams: Advani

Madurai: Accusing the government of selectively targeting people allegedly involved in various scams, BJP leader L K Advani today said it was "scrupulously" protecting itself from any probe. The BJP leader, who is on the second leg of his yatra against corruption, said the alleged role of some Congress leaders and their contribution to the scams should be probed.

"While so many ministers belonging to allies have been punished, the ruling party has very carefully and scrupulously protected itself. There are demands that the role of some members, senior leaders of Congress party (and) their contribution to these scams should be probed. These demands have not been accepted so far", he told reporters.

He said the last two years have been "very depressing because of the surfacing of numerous scams involving for the first time in the history of Independent India, several members of Central government who have not only to be removed from office because of those scams, but also to be lodged in Tihar prison of Delhi". One cannot say who else is going to join company with them in jail." Referring to the cash-for-vote scam, Advani said the episode has "sullied" Indian democracy and added that instead of bribe givers, the "whistle-blowers" were punished.

On Congress leader Digvijay Singh`s remarks that the anti-corruption stir by Anna Hazare was an over-all plan of RSS-BJP, Advani said he was surprised that a senior leader like Singh has made such comments repeatedly and his own party has disassociated from it.

To a question on the corruption charges against BJP leaders in Karnataka, he said there was "no soft corner" in the party for any kind of corruption. "Every one knows that so far as the BJP is concerned, the moment there was a report from Lokayukta, Yeddyurappa was asked to leave. There is no soft corner in the BJP, for any kind of corruption", he said.

Asked whether the BJP-led NDA would expand its alliance ahead of next Lok Sabha Polls, he said, "Any one who makes proper assessment of political situation would appreciate for quite sometime at the national level that it is going to be a coalition government. This reality has to be taken into account by all parties".