Senior BJP leader LK Advani, whose Jan Chetna Yatra entered Orissa from Chhattisgarh on Sunday, said black money salted away abroad should be brought back and spent for the development of rural areas only.
Addressing a public meeting in Bargarh, about 370 km southwest of Bhubaneswar, Advani said black money of more than Rs 25 lakh crore had been deposited in foreign countries.
"They should be brought back and spent for the development of about 700,000 villages of the country. If that is done not a single village in the country will remain without electricity, drinking water, irrigation, health services and roads," Advani said.
Calling the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, headed by Manmohan Singh, the most corrupt in independent India, Advani said: "Singh is Prime Minister as a formality. Congress president Sonia Gandhi takes all decisions of the government."
Advani said foreign countries like the US, Canada and Australia had laws to protect whistleblowers. "But the UPA government has sent our MPs who exposed the cash-for-vote scam to jail," he said.
The BJP leader attacked the central government also for neglecting the states ruled by non-Congress parties. "Roads are indicators of development. But the central government is not bothered about the horrible condition of national highways in non-Congress states," he said.
Advani will continue his yatra in Orissa on Monday after halting for the night in Sambalpur.
The BJP leader attacked the central government also for neglecting the states ruled by non-Congress parties. "Roads are indicators of development. But the central government is not bothered about the horrible condition of national highways in non-Congress states," he said.
Advani will continue his yatra in Orissa on Monday after halting for the night in Sambalpur.