Modi takes a dig at Cong over corruption

Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the country should be rid of Congress rule to make it corruption-free and criticised the ruling party over the spate of graft cases.

Launching the Bharatiya Janata Party campaign in poll-bound Rajasthan, Modi said: "A for Adarsh ghotala, B for Bofors ghotala, C for coal ghotala, D for damad ka ghotala (corruption) ... this is the new ABCD which the Congress adopted to introduce a new book of alphabets for children."

The chief of the BJP's National Campaign Committee, addressing a mammoth rally on the concluding day of the state BJP's Suraj Sankalp Yatra here, attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family, too, alleging the Congress leadership lacked the ability to lead and take important decisions and had no accountability. "Corruption is Congress' ornament, a gift; and one who does more corruption, gets promotion in the party. If India is to be made corruption-free, it should be first made Congress-free."

Modi said after 1947, the Congress was immersed in "Bhakti of one family". But "...BJP is immersed in Bharat Bhakti. It is for the well being of the 125 crore people of India."

The rally had its share of controversies. The BJP had purportedly directed Muslims to come dressed in skull caps and burqas. Critics questioned the motive behind the "dress code".

The BJP, however, claimed that the direction by its minority cell has been "misunderstood" and no distinction had been made on the basis of religion.

Spokesman Vimal Katiyar said, "BJP Minority Morcha state president Ameen Pathan had directed in a meeting on the eve of the rally that any woman wearing burqa should not be stopped from entering the women's blocks at the rally. Same instructions were given for men wearing any headgear, topi, pagri, scarf. The entire subject was misunderstood and misinterpreted in media," he said.

Scores of burqa-clad women attended the rally.