Thaindian News

Varanasi, Feb 6 (IANS) The Congress party was committed to fighting corruption at all levels and has demonstrated its will by taking prompt action in every case that has come to light, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Monday.

“The Congress party was committed to fighting corruption at all levels and we have demonstrated our will by taking prompt action in every case that has come to light,” he said at a rare press conference here two days before the start of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Accusing other political parties of doublespeak on the issue, he said: “Those who were truly committed to fighting corruption do not go about talking. Other political parties only indulged in much loud talk on corruption,” he asserted.

Citing the example of the Lokpal bill that was tabled in parliament in December 2011, Gandhi said: “I stood up in parliament for a strong constitutional Lokpal bill that would have built the institution of a truly independent and powerful Lokpal on the lines of the Election Commission, which has proved that institutions can work independently in this country.”

“But sadly, the opposition did not allow that to happen simply because they felt that the idea was initiated by Rahul Gandhi and by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Little did they care to understand that it was the people’s idea.

“But let me make it loud and clear to the opposition that we do not believe in giving up and will eventually make it happen — whether they like it or not,” Gandhi added.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Lokpal bill but it failed to clear the Rajya Sabha due to noisy protests by the opposition. The house may now take up the bill in parliament’s budget session next month.

Taking on Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch L.K. Advani on the corruption issue, Gandhi said: “The fact of the matter is that Mr. Advani himself has always chosen to remain silent on the issue of rampant corruption in the BJP ruled states of Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.”

Asked to comment on his sister Priyanka being termed a “seasonal frog” by some opposition leaders, he quipped: “In that case, I should also be labeled as one because I am her brother.” He, however, skirted a question on the possibility of Priyanka campaigning outside the confines of the Gandhi family pocket boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli.