Jaitley pulls up Congress over economic disarray

Moradabad/Pilibhit/Bijnor, Feb 29 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday hit out at the Congress-led UPA Government over economic disarray and the rampant corruption in the country.

Addressing the locals in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad District, Jaitley said: "India has an economist prime minister and the economy of the country is in shambles. There is no investment in this country. Indian businessmen are investing their money outside the country. Corruption has touched the highest level. This country has never been governed by such a corrupt government."

Meanwhile, another BJP leader Varun Gandhi called for the formation of a new party urging honest leaders to join it for the benefit of the country.

"I am not targeting any party. Each party has few good and bad leaders. I always that a new party should be formed in the country and the good people from all the parties should join it, then only can the country benefit," he told locals in Pilibhit.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for using public funds to build statues of herself and elephants, the symbol of her Bahujan Samaj Party, rather than for welfare and development projects.

"Today all the statues of Mayawati which were erected in Lucknow have been closed in boxes. This is the punishment she has got from the Election Commission. No chief minister can have such ill fate that the officials who were earlier directed to erect her statues are now busy in covering them," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major political parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)