With its image battered by a series of corruption allegations, Congress today launched a counter offensive against the opposition, especially BJP, saying it was "neck-deep" in corruption and gave clear signals that the UPA government will go ahead with implementing FDI in retail.
The Congress bigwigs including party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi utilised a well-attended party rally, where party chief ministers and other leaders were present, to convey the message that the party was on board on economic reforms and the recent fuel price hike notwithstanding the strident attack from the opposition.
Dispelling any impression about Congress and the government having second thoughts on the FDI issue, Sonia Gandhi said that the country needed a large dose of investement, of which FDI is a part, to boost growth and employment.
Lauding the stewardship of the Prime Minister at a time when the world was witnessing economic distress, she said that India has fared much better than many other countries and the government has to provide jobs for 80 to 100 lakh youth who enter the job market every year.
Against the backdrop of attacks on Congress over a number of scams, Gandhi said corruption is a cancer which affects the poor the most and declared that whoever is found guilty will not be spared.
In a veiled attack on BJP, which she did not name, Gandhi said that those levelling false allegations against Congress, were themselves "neckdeep" in corruption. "
"Those who dig ditches for others, have a well ready for them", she said quoting a Hindi proverb in an apparent reference to corruption charges against BJP including those faced by its President Nitin Gadkari.
Claiming credit for enacting RTI to bring transparency and check corruption, Gandhi said such a law can be brought only by those who want to eradicate corruption and that was the reason the government brought the Lokpal bill, but BJP did not allow its passage in Rajya Sabha.
"Our conscience is clear, our record is clean and our intentions are well. There is no need for the Congress to be on the defensive", Sonia Gandhi said charging the opposition with trying to "weaken the foundations of democracy".
She alleged that those who are levelling allegations against the government, which have been elected twice, wanted to weaken it by hook or by crook.
"They are continuosly obstructing Parliament. Why? The straight answer is that these people do not want laws for the welfare of the people to be passed and do not want discussion on matters of national importance," Gandhi said.
In a similar vein, Rahul Gandhi said that the opposition is opposing the measures taken by the government without any thought.
"They are engaged in simply opposing without giving any thought," Gandhi said, insisting that FDI in multi-brand retail will benefit farmers. He also reminded BJP that Congress, when it was in opposition, had backed the then ruling NDA fully on the Kargil conflict.
"It was BJP, which first talked of FDI. They were weak- hearted. We are strong-hearted. So we did. But when we did it, they said no to it in Parliament," the Congress general secretary said.
Making a strong case for economic reforms, he said, "If the poor have to progress, then FDI is needed, the economic reforms are needed."
The Prime Minister said that greater investment and positive atmosphere for the industry is needed for faster growth of the country.
"Recently, our government has taken certain decisions. Attempt is being made to mislead the people and spread all kind of rumours about them," he said.