Azad for probe into NDA deals

LUCKNOW: After unearthing a massive land scam in his ministry, Union urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday announced that the UPA government would scan files of other ministers to expose corruption and irregularities committed during the NDA regime.
Talking to mediapersons here, Azad claimed that he came across a land scam to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore during screening of files in his ministry during NDA regime."About 1,025 CPWD flats were demolished to vacate the land worth Rs 3,500 for RSS and its affiliates," revealed the Union minister claiming that current market rate of the land is something around Rs 10,000 crore.
"Fodder scam is just peanuts in comparison to what NDA has committed during its five-year rule. We have directed all other ministers to scan files in their departments to unearth corruption and irregularities committed during NDA regime," said Azad announcing probe against NDA government.
On tainted ministers, he said the UPA government would file a reply in the Supreme Court. But he sought to know the definition of tainted. "They are also tainted who were behind Babri mosque demolition. In worst-ever riots after 1947, over 2,000 persons were killed after demolition," he pointed out asking BJP to explain who is ''tainted''.
On strained ties with the Left over the issue of foreign experts in the Planning Commission, Azad claimed that the "issue would be sorted out once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from his foreign tour."
"We hope that the Left would not desert us and the UPA government would complete its full term" he said, attaching not much importance to the rumblings within the UPA over foreign experts'' issue.
On Maharashtra assembly polls, Azad admitted that they failed to bring all secular parties on one platform to form a secular front against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. "At least the secular parties have shown some willingness to fight together. We hope for bringing them together in future," he added.