The silence on the scams

The Congress’ top leadership was silent on the Adarsh housing scam involving Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan and the corruption charges relating to the Commonwealth Games against senior leader Suresh Kalmadi at the AICC meet on Tuesday.

The Congress’ top leadership was silent on the Adarsh housing scam involving Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan and the corruption charges relating to the Commonwealth Games against senior leader Suresh Kalmadi at the AICC meet on Tuesday.

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There was no reference to corruption even in general terms in the speeches of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who, along with defence minister and Maharashtra party in-charge AK Antony, is looking into the housing scandal. Both Chavan and Kalmadi attended the meet.

Quizzed about the silence, general secretary Digvijaya Singh said that the party has a code of ethics that is being followed. “One does not have to repeat all these things every time, in every speech,” he said.

He said appropriate action has been taken regarding the Games. “All charges of corruption are being inquired into by the highest bodies,” he said.

On the Mumbai housing scam, Singh said that whether corruption or some kind of nepotism is involved, action would be taken after the probe by the high-level two-member panel set up by Gandhi.