Cong vows to expose NDA govt

On the heels of demanding the resignation and arrest of civil aviation minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the Congress has warned that it will release a "scam-sheet" and "a document a day" on the corruption in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The Congress list of scams in the government will include the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) scam in which Rs 5,000 crore from the public exchequer were misused for projects in Karnataka.

Misuse of public money by ministers in the case of public sector undertakings like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Oil India, Metals and Mineral Trading Corporation (MMTC) and Coal India would also be highlighted, party spokesman Kapil Sibal said.

Briefing reporters Sibal said although Rudy now claimed he had paid by demand draft for his Goa sojourn, the column "billing instruction" in the hotel bill had the name and address of Arun Singh of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

"Rudy first claimed he had gone to Goa on official work. He stayed at the Presidential Villa suite that costs Rs 40,000 a night on other days, but cost Rs 60,000 over the New Year.

The bill, Sibal said, says "city ledger bill to AAI" and then says an amount of Rs 269,000 was transferred to the city ledger. "So if he went on official work, why did Rudy take the trouble of paying by demand draft?" Sibal said, adding it was not just murder that was a crime, attempt to murder was also a crime.

Sibal said getting the AAI to pay his bills seemed to have become a habit with the civil aviation minister. Sibal said this was not restricted to Rudy.

He quoted the September 9 letter of Chief Vigilance Commissioner P Sankar to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that said: "I do not want to quote any particular instance (of pressure) but it should not be difficult for you to get the information."

Sibal said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must register an FIR and hold a probe. If found guilty, Rudy should be arrested. He also said a jobs scam for recruitment into Indian Airlines and Air-India and those candidates whose applications mentioned their address as office of the secretary, civil aviation, were the ones getting jobs.

Sibal said more than Rudy it was the Prime Minister who needed to "open his eyes and take action". Sibal said: "the Prime Minister is acknowledged as the master of coalition""but one who is compromising with the art of corruption".

Meanwhile, sources in the civil aviation ministry said Rudy had requisitioned and paid for a fountain in August 2003 and greeting cards.

However, the AAI had been asked to foot the bill for painting in the AAI building because it was deemed to be official work. Alterations and renovations in the AAI building were always undertaken by the AAI, sources said.

A banquet was hosted by Rudy in his capacity minister to celebrate 100 years of the civil aviation. Alterations done at the residence of the minister to facilitate his camp office. This has been the convention, the ministry said.