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PMO will be brought under Lokpal's purview: Vajpayee

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today asserted that the National Democratic Alliance on being elected to power will launch a drive to weed out corruption and bring the prime minister's office under the purview of the Lokpal.

Addressing an election meeting in support of the BJP candidate in Kota, Vajpayee said that in the 13-months of BJP-led alliance at the Centre, no one could bring forward any corruption charge against his government.

Now with the Lok Sabha elections on, wild and baseless charges of corruption are being made by the political opponents of the NDA. He said Congress regimes at the Centre had been corrupt from top to bottom. ''Our government wanted to pass the Lokpal bill, but the opposition stalled it in the Lok Sabha,'' he said.

Vajpayee, who arrived in Kota more than an hour behind schedule to the election meeting at the Dussehra grounds, said on being elected the alliance will pursue policies for economic development, increase the country's armed forces' striking power and also reform the internal security system.

He also announced that this time his government will pass the Women Reservation Bill in Parliament.

About his government's performance, Vajpayee said it took over a sick economy with most of the industries closed or on the verge of closure. Its efforts have paid dividends with industries being revived and the creation of more employment opportunities.

Before the election meeting, Vajpayee paid floral tributes to the local hero, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was killed during Operation Vijay at Kargil. He said as several armymen from Rajasthan sacrificed their lives in Kargil a new era in the history of the state and the country will be written.

He said armymen who defended the border in the Kargil conflict will be given special incentives.

Vajpayee said the patience and courage of the entire nation during the Kargil conflict had been globally appreciated, but the Congress criticised the BJP on the issue, as it could not find any other handle in the Lok Sabha elections.

UNI

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