BJP senior leader L K Advani on Friday blamed corruption for the soaring inflation. "If you allow so much corruption, it is only natural that prices will go up. No economist, no matter how good, can control inflation if there is corruption," he said, hinting clearly at prime minister Manmohan Singh's inability to control both.
Advani was addressing a rally in Borivli after his Jan Chetana Yatra, which he is taking out to create an awareness of corruption and to press for bringing back the black money stashed in Swiss banks, entered Mumbai at Airoli in the afternoon.
The former deputy prime minister and the home minister said India had been shamed globally because of the massive corruption scandals that have broken out. "But when people from abroad ask me about corruption, I tell them that the average Indian is not corrupt and that the Indians have the ability to make India great," he said.
He squarely held Singh responsible for all the ills troubling India today. "In any democracy, the prime minister’s is the last word. Like the US presidents say, 'The buck stops here'. But in Manmohan's case the buck doesn't stop with him, it stops at 10 Janpath (Sonia Gandhi's residence). This is not good for India. If there is corruption, it is because the PM's is not the last word," he said.
He clarified that he had a lot of respect for Singh for his role as finance minister in the 1990s and for ushering in economic reforms, and which brought glory to India. But today, thanks to corruption, only negative news about India was being highlighted.
Advani's yatra left Pune in the morning and entered Mumbai in the afternoon. BJP workers were out in strength to greet his cavalcade, which later wound its way through the suburbs. The maximum numbers turned out to greet Advani in Ghatkopar (W). Elsewhere, there were small crowds summoned by local BJP leaders.
The rally was also addressed by Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale. Thackeray hailed Mamata Banerjee for lashing out at the centre for the recent petrol price hike, adding he wished Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar had the courage to do that instead. Athavale said his faction was joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
