Making a scathing attack on the Congress, Union Steel Minister Birender Singh on Sunday said massive corruption during the UPA regime had pushed him into quitting the Congress and joining the BJP about four and a half years ago.
Addressing a ‘jan vishwas’ rally, the Union minister said, “A bunch of people from politics and big corporates used to act in tandem to loot public money during the UPA government while top leaders kept their eyes shut to misgovernance and corrupt dealings. A bunch of 2,000 people earned between Rs 500 crore and Rs 20,000 crore during the UPA regime,” he alleged.
Taking on former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Birender said, “Though he is my cousin, I can tell you that he is among the richest politicians today. Farmers were looted of around 80,000 acres agricultural land during his government. The rate for change of land use was Rs 2.5 crore per acre,” he alleged.
Birender advised Congress leaders embarking on rath yatras and cycle yatras to go to Kedarnath to seek forgiveness for their purported misdeeds.
He admitted that Hooda had once told him of having got change of land use approved during the Congress regime. Birender asserted, “I want to put on record that I never played middleman. I will give up politics if any allegation against me is proved.”
He pointed out that politicians, including Hooda and INLD leaders, would come to the electorate again as elections were around the corner. “Beware of their promises. They have ill-intentions to unleash loot on land and other resources,” he claimed.
He said he had come to know that certain politicians were making the rounds of the BJP in an effort to join the party, but they should not be allowed. “I will not shy away from a hunger strike if any such politician is inducted into the party,” he warned.
