AAP attacks BJP, Narendra Modi on silence over 'gas price scam'

Launching a scathing attack on BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for not raising the issue of 'gas price scam', AAP today said it was strange and surprising that no BJP leader had spoken a word about it.

"The main issue is that generation of corrupt money has created a mafia, which controls the entire system of power... all institutions of power, including leading (political) parties like BJP and Modi are no exception to that," AAP National Executive Committee Member Prashant Bhushan said.

"That is why Modi has not raised his voice against the biggest scams which occurred in the history of the country very recently and that is the gas price scam where the cabinet has taken a decision to increase gas prices given to Reliance from Godavari gas basin," he told reporters here.

Bhushan said it was strange and surprising that neither any BJP leader nor Modi who 'tom-toms' against corruption had spoken a word about it.

Asked about AAP's strategy for the coming Lok Sabha polls, he said the party would contest the elections from as many seats as possible. "We will have to take a final call on it by February, when we will have a reasonable idea on the candidates available".

On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and the alleged attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, he said it was unfortunate that the Union Government had not taken up this issue strongly with the Sri Lankan Government.

He alleged that both DMK and AIADMK are equally corrupt.

"They are equally corrupt. Whether DMK or AIADMK, whether you see Radia tapes or whether you see disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa, both are corrupt.

"Unfortunately these corrupt parties are trying to divert issues through regional communal issues rather than the main issue, which is corruption," he said, to a query about regional parties in Tamil Nadu.

Asked if AAP would rope in anti-nuclear activist S P Udayakumar into the party's fold, Bhushan said he is an excellent activist who has been raising a very important issue (Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant)."We want such an activist in our party. We hope he joins the party or at least supports it".

On the AAP's plan for Tamil Nadu, he claimed the party currently has one lakh members in the state and intended to increase it to five lakh.

After chairing the District executive meeting, Bhushan said his party has expelled five persons -- K P Narayanan, M Krishnamoorthy, K Balakrishnan, Nazreen Saldana Mina and Y Arul Dass.

"They have been expelled from the party and are not authorised to represent the party or claim any association with AAP", he said.

Authorised representatives of AAP in Tamil Nadu would be Christina Samy, (Convenor) M Lenin co-convenor, Anand Ganesh (Treasurer), he said.