New Delhi: Sharpening its attack on Congress on the corruption issue, BJP today alleged that "other" Cabinet ministers are also involved in the 2G spectrum scam along from A Raja and asserted that they "will also have to go" along with the Telecom Minister.
"This money was not only looted by Raja. Congress leaders were also involved... Money has not only gone to Chennai. It has benefited Congress also," BJP president Nitin Gadkari said while addressing a public rally in Najafgarh.
Questioning the role of other Cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister in the 2G spectrum issue, Gadkari said, "Has Raja alone siphoned off the money? Hasn't the Prime Minister signed the files? If he (Raja) was wrong, then why was he not stopped? It is not just Raja who will have to go, other ministers who are involved in it will also have to go."
The Opposition has been seeking Raja's ouster but the Telecom Minister has been defiant about his role.
For the second consecutive day, the party also tried to link a close aide of Rahul Gandhi with CWG irregularities.
"Emaar-MGF, the firm that built the Games Village, is involved in a scam of Rs 2,000 crore. Who owns this company? One of its owners is one Gupta. His nephew Kanishka Singh is the political secretary of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"I seek answers on this from Sonia Gandhi," Gadkari said.
Kanishka Singh, however, said that he has "absolutely nothing to do" with the matter and termed BJP's allegations as "entirely baseless, false and with an ulterior purpose".
To blunt the Opposition's attack over multiple corruption charges, the Congress last week sacked Suresh Kalmadi, who was the CWG 2010 Organising Committee Chairman, from a party post.
Gadkari said, "Kalmadi was not the only one involved in CWG scam. Other Congress ministers also played a role. There are many other players like Kalmadi in this scam."
Stating that the Prime Minister's Office, Finance Minister, Sports Minister and seven Cabinet Ministers along with the Delhi Chief Minister were involved with the CWG, Gadkari demanded a JPC probe into the matter.
"Till the time the Joint Parliamentary Committee is not formed to investigate the CWG, we will keep fighting on the issue not only in Parliament but outside also," he added.
Claiming that he had a 180-page file on corruption in Commonwealth Games, the BJP President said, "The cost estimates of the Games were hiked six times since 2003 and every time the Group of Ministers, Finance Minister, Prime Minister and the Cabinet gave their approval."
Gadkari claimed that the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was repaired at a cost of Rs 980 crore whereas many stadiums in various NDA-ruled states were built by spending Rs 40-45 crores.
He alleged that the cost of the projects under the CWG was hiked 10 times the real price.
The BJP chief said his party had "five files" on multi-crore corruption in the Games of which three were yet to come out in open.
Alleging corruption in awarding contracts for the Games, Gadkari said Indian companies were not given tenders as qualification norms required the applicants to have experience of working in Olympic or Commonwealth Games earlier.
"When India has not organised these games in the past, how can they have experience of working in such events," he said, adding that even toilet tiles for the Games were imported and foreign labourers were employed to work there.
The BJP president also targeted newly appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan alleging that for buying a flat, he showed his income as Rs 1.5 lakh only but for filing Rajya Sabha nomination, his affidavit stated his
income to be Rs 8 lakh.
"If a person produces two different affidavits about his income, what does the law say about such people," he added.
"Rahul Gandhi had said the Congress will give a clean chief minister in Maharashtra. What type of clean CM is this?," Gadkari said, adding the BJP would aggressively come out on roads to protest against the "corruption in
government".
The main opposition has been on an all-out offensive against the government over corruption charges in CWG, 2G spectrum and Adarsh housing scams.
On the corruption allegations against his party related to the CWG, Gadkari said, "I dare the Congress to investigate the charges and if found guilty, I will accept any punishment."
The BJP's campaign got a shot in the arm when Ashok Chavan, whose relatives benefited from the Mumbai housing project meant for Kargil war widows, was forced to resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister and was replaced by Prithviraj Chavan.
(With inputs from PTI)
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