2G scam: BJP demands PM's resignation, apology from Congress

Sharpening its attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the BJP today demanded that he step down owning 'moral responsibility' for the second generation mobile telephony spectrum allocation scam.

The principal opposition also accused the ruling Congress of engaging in "desperate" tactics to deviate people's attention from the corruption issue and demanded that it apologise to senior BJP leader LK Advani for claiming that he attended a function of a Trust controlled by controversial corporate lobbyist Nira Radia.

"There is a man Dheeraj Rao, who enjoys very good relationship with a prominent Congress family of Haryana, has levelled baseless allegations against BJP leaders," party's national general secretary and chief spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said.

"He is Congress' plant and the party is expert in doing such things to deviate and mislead the people from the real issue," he alleged.

Prasad denied the allegation that Advani inaugurated a function of a Trust controlled by Radia.

"In reality, Advani attended a function of a religious organisation of Pejavar Swamy and the land was alloted to him by the United Front government," Prasad said, adding, "Allegations levelled against (BJP chief Nitin) Gadkari have turned out to be baseless and Ananth Kumar has already issued a legal notice.

"This is not the first time when Congress is playing such tactics, it has done so in the past as well," he alleged and demanded that the Congress "apologise to Advani".

Terming the irregularities in the allocation of second generation mobile telephony spectrum spectrum as the biggest scam in the country, he said, "Being the Prime Minister, when ministers were looting public exchequer, he should resign owning moral responsibility."

Prasad said the BJP will not relent on its demand for a JPC probe into second generation mobile telephony spectrum allocation scam as the PAC's jurisdiction was very limited.

"We took the decision to stall the proceedings of Parliament under great pain, but had we not taken a strong stance then A Raja would not have resigned. Whatever action is happening including CBI probe is only due to pressure mounted by us," Prasad said.

The BJP leader said the biggest question was why the Congress was shying away from the demand of a JPC probe when its own member will be the chairman of the committee.

"In the light of the Nira Radia tapes, the CBI cannot probe... how efforts were made to influence the policies and corporates lobbied to make a particular leader a minister.... That has to be done by Parliament," Prasad said.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that Congess' top leaders were responsible for various scams which came to light recently.

"The BJP's clear allegation is that Congress' top leadership is responsible for the scams related Commonwealth Games, Adarsh society and 2G spectrum," he told reporters at BJP state headquarters in Jaipur

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Prasad said by terming Hindu terrorism a bigger threat than groups like Lasker-e-Taiba, the Congress general secretary has "supported Pakistan's propaganda.

"They are trying to communalise the fight against terrorism," he alleged.

Accusing the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh of behaving in an undemocratic manner, Prasad said that "the spirit of local self government was compromised in the recent panchayat elections in the state".