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BJP patriarch and former deputy prime minister L K Advani said here the party would take up the issue of leaked portions of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam indicating that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been given a clean chit when the report would be tabled in the Parliament on Thursday.
Addressing the public meetings at Savadatti in Belgaum and Indi in Bijapur districts on Wednesday as part of the BJP's campaigning for assembly elections, he said the leaked portion of the JPC report mentioned former PM Atal Bihari Vajapayee's name and the BJP would strongly condemn it.
He said, Vajpayee has been the tallest leader of the party. In his entire political career, none has been able to make any allegations against the former prime minister. BJP would not tolerate allegations against Vajpayee, Jaswant Singh and Arun Shourie in the 2G spectrum case, he asserted.
"Prime Minister, his law minister and others were facing several charges of corruption, but leaked portions of JPC report have shown the prime minister has been given clean chit. Report would come up in the Parliament on Thursday and party would take it head on," he said.
"Since Independence I have seen governments led by Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh and have been part of two governments led by Morarji Desai and Vajpayee. Both the prime ministers under whom I served do not have any charges of corruption and have set moral standards for others to follow. BJP has been following morals of Vajpayee," Advani said.
"Jawaharlal Nehru had a role in independence of the country, but his soft stand towards China led to the neighbours attacking us and we are yet to come out of the humiliation. India won the war against Pakistan under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but emergency imposed during her reign witnessed lakhs of opposition leaders being jailed," Advani stated.
He said, the BJP has been working for the upliftment of all classes and never used any class or community as its vote bank. A large number of Muslims supporting the party in the assembly elections in the state is an indication they have understood how other parties used them as vote banks.
Addressing party supporters, Advani said, anti-campaign by opposition parties that BJP was anti-Muslim hasn't given any results. "People from all communities and classes are with the party and we are proud that we did not use any of them as vote bank. BJP has worked to ensure that all classes lived with dignity and respect" he asserted.
BJP governments have given good governance in the states in which they are in power. Party has never compromised on corruption and discipline. We are in the opposition at national level, but our floor leaders in both the houses of Parliament, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley are doing well to protect interests of the people, Advani said.
