Rajnath Singh slams UPA government over rampant corruption

Lucknow, Feb 5 (ANI): Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed the Congress led-UPA government for disgracing the nation's pride by indulging in corrupt practices.

Singh put forward his views while addressing a news conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

"Everyone is aware of the corrupt activities of ruling Congress Party. This might be for the first time that the union ministers in India had to go to jail following corruption charges. What could be more shameful for a country than this incident?" he said.

Congress has been on the target of opposition parties as Union ministers like former Commonwealth Organising Committee chief, Suresh Kalmadi and former Telecom minister A Raja being put behind the bars over swindling of funds.

Laying a scathing attack on Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, Singh criticised his silence over skyrocketing inflation, which has created a hole in the pocket of common man.

"Rahul Gandhi always comments on the eating up of funds by the 'elephant' but he never makes any comment on sky rocketing inflation which is having adverse effect on the household of a common man," added Singh.

The opposition parties have kept the Indian Government on ropes since January 2011, impacting the pace of economic reform in Asia's third largest economy as it battles high inflation and slowing economic growth.

Answering a query on the absence of senior BJP leaders like Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from the assembly polls campaigns, Singh said there was no infighting within the party.

"We still are left with a lot of time for campaigning and you should wait and watch. Nobody is angry within the party. Every member of the party is happy. We still have time for campaigning and you should wait till the end," he added.

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and provides the biggest single bloc of seats in the Indian parliament.

The upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as an opportunity for India's major parties to re-establish or strengthen their footholds in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

The results of the polls would be declared on March 6. (ANI)