New Delhi: On the eve of Mayawati's birthday, Congress today frowned upon the "gift culture" in the BSP and said the way Income Tax Tribunal has exonerated the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister recently would lead to legalisation of corruption.

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Sigh told reporters that if the Tribunal order becomes a precedent "then corruption will become legalised forever".

Singh, who is in charge of party affairs in UP, preceded his remarks by saying that only three persons who can object in the matter of gifts are the one who is the receiver, second is the donor and the third is the Income Tax department.

Extending birthday greetings to Mayawati, he hoped that she would utilise the coming year for the welfare of the people of the state. Taking a dig at the UP Chief Minister, Singh, who was Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister for ten long years, said he had never celebrated his birthday.

"What is there to celebrate on a day when there is one less year in your life," he said. Turning to the Noida land scam case, he said, "whenever there is prima facie corruption, then the CBI and Directorate of Enforcement should look into it."

Though there is "huge corruption" in Noida land allotment, he said the scope of investigation should be extended up to December 31,2007. "No one is above law and the Constitution," he said adding when asked a question about Mayawati.

Source : PTI