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Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the United Progressive Alliance government led by him for allegedly trying to shield the guilty persons in the 2G spectrum scam. He was addressing a meeting of party workers in Delhi.
"Dr Manmohan Singh is leading one of the most corrupt governments in the country since independence. If 2010 was a year of scams, the United Progressive Alliance government would like 2011 to be the year of cover-up to shield the guilty," he said amidst cheers from the party workers
He accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of appointing P J Thomas as the head of the Central Vigilance Commission in spite of knowing that Thomas had been named in the Palomein oil scam.
"The Supreme Court has ordered that the case pending against Thomas should be heard by the trial court without any further delay. After this, I suppose the CVC would tender his resignation. If he does not do so, then Dr Singh has a problem at hand," he said.
He ridiculed the prime minister's abilities as a leading economist when his government has failed to curb the spiralling prices of essential commodities, particularly vegetables. "The onion prices have touched the zenith. Tomatoes are also not cheap. Inflation is rising. And he has no idea how to control prices," he said sarcastically.
Jaitley also expressed surprise at the fact that in spite of receiving a letter from the finance ministry on January 15, 2008, pointing out the manner in which 2G spectrum licences were being distributed and asking that they should be stopped immediately, Dr Singh didn't take any steps to do so.