Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of practising “double standards” on the issue of corruption, the Maharashtra Congress said here on Thursday that while on one hand Modi had targeted the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for its alleged involvement in the 70,000 crore corruption scam, on the other the ruling BJP had “honourably” inducted the NCP led by the breakaway group leader scam=tainted Ajit Pawar into its government in the state.
Talking to media persons after the meeting with party’s senior leaders including former chief ministers Sushilkukmar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole charged that Modi did not practise what he preached on matters relating to corruption.
“Modi publicly accused NCP leaders of being involved in a Rs 70,000 crore scam. Days later, his party honourably inducts Ajit Pawar and other NCP men as ministers in its government in Maharashtra. That only goes to prove that the Modi government is protecting corrupt leaders. Modi practises double standards. His assertions on corruption are hollow,” Patole said.
“Corruption is in BJP’s blood. In Karnataka where its government was called 40 per cent commission sarkara, Prime Minister Modi campaigned for the corrupt leaders in the recent Assembly elections where the BJP lost badly. The BJP is desperately trying to increase its strength by inducting corrupt people from other parties. The means adopted by the BJP to acquire power is detrimental to the interests of democracy in the country,” Patole said.
Apart from Patole, Shinde, Prithviraj and Ashok Chavan,. The other leaders who attended the crucial Congress Core Committee meeting were Congress Legislature Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, party leaders Manikrao Thakre, Arif Naseem Khan, Basavaraj Patil, Praniti Shinde and Satej Patil.
“Whenever the BJP senses electoral defeat, it starts playing dirty politics by splitting other parties, scaring the Opposition leaders with the fear of unleashing central agencies like ED, CBI, ITD and blatantly crushing democracy in the country,” Patole said.