Alot (MP): Mounting a scathing attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vajpayee Government at the Centre, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today (Nov 21) accused its leaders and ministers of "having beaten all records in corruption and bribery".

Without naming BJP leader from Chhattisgarh and former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo, Gandhi told an election meeting here that had there been no election round the corner, he would not have resigned from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government despite the cash-on-camera newsbreak.

Sonia said it was "surprising and shocking" that no criminal case has so far been registered against Judeo though he was shown purportedly taking bundles of notes on TV. Even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not included him within the purview of investigation, she said.

Since the accused was a member of Vajpayee Ministry, the entire Government and BJP network is defending him, she said, adding that if a common man or a junior Government employee had done the same thing he would have been arrested first and a criminal case registered against him.

PTI