No compromise on corruption: BJP

The Tribune

Shimla, October 20: With questions being raised on the reinstatement of tainted officers facing serious corruption charges, the BJP today said there was no question of compromising on the issue of corruption as criminal investigations against them would continue.

Addressing a press conference here today, Satya Pal Jain, in-charge of BJP affairs in Himachal, defended the move of the government to reinstate IAS officer Sanjay Gupta and State Drug Controller Sher Singh.

“Each case is decided on merit and the government exercised the powers vested in it to reinstate Gupta,” he said in reply to a query.

Citing the Supreme Court rulings, Jain said it had been recommended that rather than keeping officers under suspension and giving them 75 per cent salary, it was a better option to reinstate them and take work from them. “There would be no compromise on criminal investigation in the cases registered against these officers and the government will take the final decision on their reinstatement after examining individual cases,” he said.

... In reply to a query on dynastic politics, he said it did not behove Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was himself a fifth generation Gandhi-Nehru, to talk about ending politics of dynasty.

“There could be stray cases of children following the footsteps of their fathers in the BJP. Moreover, all such persons have made it on the basis of their own calibre and ability and not because of their lineage,” he remarked.

He said while Rahul Gandhi was talking about ending politics of dynasty as a mere political slogan, the BJP was serious on the issue.