Advani blasts UPA for Satyam ‘cover up’

The BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani Wednesday demanded that a judicial inquiry be conducted into the Satyam fiasco, which was not just a corporate fraud as it also involved political leaders.

Speaking at the public meeting held as part of the ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’, here Wednesday, he said that leaders of the Congress Party, right from AICC president Sonia Gandhi to the State leaders of the AP State Government were involved and demanded that a judicial inquiry be constituted to investigate the political involvement in the Satyam Fiasco. Advani charged the Congress with meddling with the Election Commission, that was the backbone of Indian democracy, and pointed out that it was the first time in Indian history that the body was being given a political colour.

“This is the weakest Government that I have seen in my political career spanning six decades as a parliamentarian, including all the Prime Ministers in office right from Nehru to Manmohan Singh,” LK Advani said. The security situation in the country, Advani argued, was very bleak which was evident in the several terrorist attacks that occurred in the last four years culminating in the recent attacks in Mumbai.

“Any Government would have at least conducted an inquiry to check for the lapses which lead to the recent attacks on Mumbai. But the UPA Government hasn’t done anything of that sort till now. Changing the Union Home Minister besides the Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister serves no purpose,” he said. “The country faces a grave threat from insurgents into India, both from its western border with Pakistan and from the eastern border with Bangladesh,” he opined.

He said that the BJP’s slogan for the General Elections would be - “Good Governance, Development and Security to the common man”. he described these three as the three mantras which would bring them power again and added that the NDA Government would go ahead with the linking of the river basins across the country, besides completing the Golden Quadrilateral Project. Speaking on the Telangana issue, he said that the BJP would have bifurcated the State during its last term, had it not been for its coalition partner (read TDP). But, he promised to deliver if the NDA returned to power.

He also promised to increase the Minimum Support Price for Paddy to Rs 1000. He urged the youth of this country to cast their vote and asked them not to miss the opportunity. Forecasting BJP’s victory in the forthcoming elections, he said that it would be a victory for the country and not just the BJP, as the BJP-led NDA was the only instrument for the country’s comprehensive growth. The meeting was attended by BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya, senior leader Venkaiah Naidu, former MP Krishnam Raju and former MLA Kota Srinivasa Rao.