New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) The Congress Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over graft allegations against its chief minister in Karnataka, B.S. Yeddyurappa, and accused the party of "double standards, double speak and hypocrisy" on the issue of corruption.


Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the "drama in Karnataka" was in its final stages and the chief minister should quit. He was reacting to reports about the chief minister's name figuring in the Lokayukta's report on illegal mining.

"They shout from rooftops about corruption but fiddle when Karnataka burns…The party has not only lost its right to give lectures on corruption but the chief minister cannot stay for a minute in power," Singhvi said.

He said the chief minister was answerable to "public opinion, judicial system, his own conscience and aam aadmi (common man) of Karnataka".

He said the BJP was not even admitting that the Karnataka chief minister has been named in the Lokayukta report.

Asked about the leaked report of Karnataka ombudsman naming some other leaders including a Congress MP, Singhvi said a distinction has to be made between individuals.

"Those holding constitutional positions have to resign," he said, adding that in case of others the criminal law would be applicable.

Referring to the resignation of Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra chief minister in the Adarsh housing society controversy, Singhvi said there was no chargesheet, conviction or Lokayukta report but Chavan quit his post.

Yeddyurappa, mining barons and ministers G. Janardhan Reddy and G. Karunanakar Reddy, former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad were named by the Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde in his report on illegal mining, which was leaked to the media late Wednesday even before it was printed and submitted to the state government.

Hegde blamed Yeddyurappa and four of his ministers for illegal mining that has caused a Rs.1,827 crore loss to the exchequer in over a year.