BJP never investigates scams involving their ministers: Rajeev Shukla

Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday for not cooperating with any investigation for the scams they were involved in.

Shukla was speaking at a news conference in Nagpur.

"The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government did not conduct any investigation in any scam during its regime. The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) had charged ruling Congress party of scam of 1,800 billion rupees. That wasn't even proved. Now, when the inspection was done, is there any sign of that money? No. So the CAG wasn't able to prove the blame it imposed on Congress party. Yet a ruckus was created about it throughout the country," said Shukla.

The minister also justified the decision on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh that was pushed by the Congress.

"Taking all the aspects in consideration, the Congress party decided to create Telangana state. And after the Congress Working Committee's (CWC) decision, it was a commitment from the party. And accordingly, the bill was tabled in the parliament. We got it passed and Telangana is a reality today. The President has also given his assent. But at the same time, I would like to make it very clear that no injustice will be meted out to Seemandhra," he said.

Moreover, when being asked for his reaction on External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's objectionable statement on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, where he called him impotent, Shukla called the statement objectionable.

"The Congress party members should not be delivering cheap statements. We should not stoop down to the level of BJP. One such example of abusive language being used by them is when in 2009 Narendra Modi had called Rahul Gandhi a milkman, rickshaw puller, and a lot more. Consequently, at that time Congress won the election and the opposition had to suffer defeat. Rahul Gandhi had clarified that he does not approve of the statement delivered by Salman Khurshid," he added.

When asked about the shameful defeat of the Congress in the assembly elections in four states last year, Shukla responded by asserting that there is a lot of difference between assembly polls and general elections and assembly elections will not affect Congress' performance in the upcoming elections that are due by May.