Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani on Sunday said the only way to end corruption is through public awakening or a change of government. He added, “Corruption is rampant in the country and this government is known as the most corrupt. The main reason for not eradicating corruption is not the lack of laws, but the lack of political will to act against corruption.”
Further, in an indication that he will remain in active politics and will remain a prime ministerial candidate despite turning 84 earlier this month, Mr Advani insisted that even though his yatra has concluded, his fight against corruption will continue. In political circles, the yatra is being widely perceived as Mr Advani’s attempt to position himself for the Prime Minister’s post.
Though Mr Advani attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for heading the “most corrupt” government under whom scams such as the 2G spectrum and Commonwealth Games have occurred, his former close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni as well as two former party MPs — all recently out on bail — and one sitting MP who are accused in the cash-for-vote scam were felicitated at Sunday’s rally. Mr Gadkari even demanded an apology to the nation from the PM and the Congress leadership for putting in jail the BJP’s “whistleblower” leaders in the cash-for-vote scam.
Mr Advani said though his nationwide yatra received tremendous response where ever it went, he missed the “active support” of his senior colleague and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Other than senior BJP and NDA leaders, also present at the rally was AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalilithaa’s emissary M. Thambidurai, in an indication of a possible future alliance with the NDA.