Come out clean on Gadkari, BJP told

Cong makes demand after Advani backs party chief

As party leaders came in defence of Nitin Gadkari, who is facing allegations of indulging in dubious business dealings, the Congress on Wednesday asked the BJP to clarify and come clean on the corruption charges made against its chief instead of blaming others.

“It a serious matter,” said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi referring to allegations made against Gadkari adding that the BJP should sort out their own affairs instead of pointing fingers at the UPA. “My suggestion is that one should first clarify about oneself. The BJP should clarify about the allegations against Gadkari instead of putting allegations on others,” said Alvi.

Alvi’s comments came in the wake of veteran BJP leader L K Advani backing Gadkari and congratulating him for coming clean by asking for an investigations. In a statement released here, Advani also blamed that the Congress-led UPA is “trying to work a strategy to paint the entire political class with the same brush to minimise and escape its unpardonable sins”.

Referring to Advan’s remarks, another Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “You cannot come out of the shadow of these questions (related to Gadkari’s role)  by levelling allegations on others. There is only one way that the government probes the matter and you come out clean.”

In an attempt to demean the attempts of BJP leaders trying to defend Gadkari, Alvi referred to party’s former chief Bangaru Laxman, who had to resign from the post after being caught on camera taking bribe and convicted later and said, “The whole party came out in his support, but he was later convicted.”