Cong questions seriousness of BJP's anti-corruption crusade

Accusing the BJP of launching a malicious campaign to defame the erstwhile UPA government on the 2G scam issue, the Congress today questioned the party's seriousness of its anti-corruption crusade and asked why the party-led government failed to appoint a Lokpal.
Congress's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma asked the BJP who would be held responsible for the "actual loss" caused to the country's economy due to demonetisation as the party, then in opposition, had launched a campaign against the UPA over Rs 1.76 lakh crore of "notional loss" in the 2G scam that never took place.
The Cong leader's remarks came after a special CBI court today acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and all other accused in the 2G scam cases, holding that the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove any of the corruption and money laundering charges.

"There was a vicious and malicious campaign targeting the then Congress-led UPA government, also besmirching the image of the then Prime Minister and the government by claiming a big loot, a scam and a huge loss to country.
"While this was a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore, what about the actual loss of Rs 3 lakh crore caused to the economy by a personal decision of note-ban that shaved of the GDP by two per cent," Sharma told reporters.
He also rebutted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's claim that Supreme Court has dubbed spectrum allocation as a "corrupt policy" and challenged him to show the verdict.

The Congress leader also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the issue in attacking the then government on corruption but never set up the anti-corruption ombudsman, the Lokpal, the bill for which was passed by the UPA government.

"Those who are agitating and actually emotionally provoked the people of India through that agitation are silent, they have all gone silent...Where is the Lokpal? Why they agitated?" he asked.
"(The then comptroller and auditor general) Vinod Rai. Should he held to account or not for what he did?" he asked.
He said this was not an ordinary trial as it had generated national and global attention. It also destroyed many careers and many lives those who spent long months in prison, he said, while "those who were behind it fuelling it, giving it credence are enjoying their lives".

Congress leader Vivek Tankha said the case was based upon a draft report, which was leaked even before it came to Parliament for discussion in the Public Accounts Committee.
"How it got leaked, we don't know...Much before the issue is discussed in Parliament and the report finalised, the draft report is leaked, it is made the basis of the petition before the Supreme Court, the report is believed and investigation is ordered," he said.
He said huge investments that came into India "have all gone" and the question is "who is responsible for this?"
Tankha said that the system did not recognise the failure inherited in such a procedure and the country paid a huge price.