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Vajpayee says he is willing to face probe into Sugargate charge

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today offered to face an inquiry into charges of corruption levelled by the Congress against the Prime Minister's Office relating to import of sugar from Pakistan.

Addressing an election rally in favour of union food minister Surjit Singh Barnala in Barnala in Sangrur, Vajpayee said the Congress did not raise this matter in Parliament but suddenly took it up during electioneering for political gain.

He said, ''Congress leaders involved in various scandals like Bofors, bank scam, urea scam were facing probes at various levels and were still under cloud. The charges against the PMO were just a cover-up of their own misdeeds.''

Claiming that the BJP-led government had provided a clean and transparent government at the Centre, he said Congress leaders had failed to raise corruption charges against any leader of the BJP or a minister of his government in Parliament. He said his government had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan during his Lahore visit, but this was opposed by the Congress. When Pakistan betrayed and sent infiltrators into tokargil his government showed determination and ousted them but again the Congress opposed it. What was the policy of the Congress towards ''our neighbour" (Pakistan), he wondered.

UNI

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