Congress leadership protecting Chandy as it too faces graft: BJP

The party further asserted that Chandy had no moral and political right to continue in his office for even a minute

BJP today attacked Congress' top brass over solar scam in poll-bound Kerala, alleging Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were protecting "corrupt" Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as they lacked moral authority to act against him since they too were facing graft charges in National Herald case.

Party spokesperson M J Akbar referred to reports that Chandy allegedly sent emissaries to Saritha S Nair, an accused in the case, to persuade her from speaking against him, and asserted that the chief minister to had no moral and political right to continue in his office for even a minute.

Her statement that she paid bribe to Chandy "proved" his corruption, Akbar told the media.

"We are shocked by the Congress high command decision to protect a proven corrupt chief minister despite the evidence. Perhaps, the reason for this is that high command is also facing charges of severe corruption of thousands of crores in the National Herald case."

"When the high command is standing in the court facing corruption charges, perhaps they have no longer any moral authority to ask one of their chief ministers to resign for the same reason. Otherwise they would have to probably resign themselves," he said.

Referring to the coming polls, he said the ongoing year will be a "year of justice" in Kerala as people will "erase the corrupt government".

Akbar said the Congress government is Kerala is cracking up as he spoke about the resignation of an RSP MLA over these charges.

Demanding Chandy's resignation, he said, "If chief minister does not listen to the voice of people, then the voice of people already growing louder will become an uproar.

BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao accused Congress of being synonymous with scandals and scams.

"Congress is synonymous with scandals & scams. Solar scam in Kerala is now added to the long list of Congress scams," he said.

He also attacked Rahul Gandhi for visiting every other place but not addressing his own party's problems in Kerala.

"Rahul Gandhi before touring elsewhere should visit Kerala. Before raising any other issue, shd address concerns ofKerala people on Solar Scam(sic)," he tweeted.