BJP's charges of corruption against Congress false: Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday slammed the BJP, saying that its "false propaganda" on corruption charges against the UPA government was nothing but an attempt to cover up cases of corruption in states ruled by it.

"All those people who are themselves neck deep in corruption are levelling various kinds of allegations against us," Gandhi said at a public meeting in Amethi.

Defending the track record of the UPA government in fighting corruption, she said: "I want to tell you that in the fight against corruption, we brought anti-corruption law - the Right to Information Act. It is because of this that many cases of corruption have come to light."

Daring the Bharatiya Janata Party to tell people what action was taken by its governments in states against people involved in corruption, Gandhi said the United Progressive Alliance government at the centre has hauled up those found guilty.

"We have taken firm steps against those accused (of corruption). I challenge the BJP to tell if they have made similar laws in the states ruled by them, taken action against those accused of corruption. Have they punished them? Not at all," she said.

The Congress chief lashed out at the BJP campaign that says nothing has been done in India in the last 65 years since independence by the successive Congress governments.

"Our opposition BJP is engaged in a malicious campaign against us," she said.

Listing the achievements in various fields, Gandhi said the country has witnessed green revolution, white revolution, strides in nuclear energy, advancement in technology, industry, agriculture, irrigation, communication, education and infrastructure.

"All this was possible because of the Congress's policies and its work coupled with hard work by the people," she said.

In the last 10 years, the UPA has given the country laws that guarantee right to free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years, right to food security that provides subsidised food for the poor and rural employment guarantee.

The Congress president said India has come a long way but still "a lot more has to be done", as she counted the numerous development works undertaken in Amethi to link it with the mainstream through faster road and rail connectivity.