Solar 'scam' in KerNew Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Eyeing a bigger political spacein Kerala, the BJP today attacked the CPI(M) and Congress, twomajor forces there, over issues of violence and corruptionrespectively, and sought a time-bound and fair probe into analleged Solar scam in the southern state.
Citing former chief minister Oommen Chandy's indictmentin the alleged scam by an inquiry commission, Union ministerRavi Shankar Prasad claimed that no corruption allegation hadbeen levelled against the current government at the Centreduring its three-year rule so far, but cases of the Congress'corruption continued to appear.
"Taking measures against corruption has never been partof the Congress' DNA. Its DNA reeks of corruption," he toldreporters.
Attacking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her deputyRahul Gandhi, Prasad said former prime minister Manmohan Singhhad often been attacked, but these two top leaders of theparty should clarify if they had done anything againstcorruption.
He demanded a time-bound, fair and proper probe by thevigilance department into the alleged Solar scam in Kerala.
The Kerala government has ordered a vigilance probe intothe alleged scam after the inquiry commission submitted itsreport, indicting Chandy and other Congress leaders.
Prasad also attacked the CPI(M)-led government in Keralaover the killings of BJP-RSS workers in the state and allegedthat the Left party believed in containing its rivals throughviolence.
The lotus, the poll symbol of the BJP, had a right tobloom in Kerala and the people of the state should be allowedto decide its fate, the law minister said, while claiming thatthe saffron party's 15-day march in the southern state againstthe violence on its workers had received a good response.
The BJP has accused the CPI(M) of indulging in "politicalmurders" in Kerala.
To a question on Sitaram Yechury's assertion that the BJPhad picked the issue of political violence in Kerala as adiversionary tactic to shift the focus from the country'seconomy, Prasad referred to the "personal rivalry" between theCPI(M) general secretary and his predecessor, Prakash Karat,and how the former's Rajya Sabha bid was "scuttled".
He also suggested that Yechury himself was notcomfortable with the situation in Kerala.
Indian economy, Prasad claimed, was thriving. PTI KRRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.