Imphal, June 12 2010: BJP president, Nitin Gadkari today lamented on the situation in Manipur where economic blockade has been on since over a month.

He deputed leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, to visit the north-eastern state to study the situation and submit a report, agency reports said today.

"We are extremely perturbed about the situation in Manipur and it is highly deplorable that Naga groups are allowed to hold the entire state to ransom, unmindful of the hardships of the people," Gadkari said during his inaugural address to the BJP national executive in Patna in Bihar today.

Continuing to make price rise a major issue, BJP president Nitin Gadkari sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, wondering why UPA government had failed to check the spiralling prices despite him being an economist.

"We have an economist as prime minister of the country and despite this, the prices of essential commodities are escalating without any control", Gadkari said.

He said the party succeeded in mobilising the masses on the issue of spiraling prices and successfully gave vent to their anguish by launching agitations against price rise.

"Price rise is the result of wrong economic policies and fiscal mismanagement.

It established the utter insensitivity of the government that has allowed rotting of lacks of tonnes of wheat", he charged, adding that the party's war on price rise would continue.

He said the prices of essential commodities were within control when NDA led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in power.

Gadkari castigated the prime minister for proving to be "weak" on the issues related to corruption and asked for his explanation on the matter.

"We are of the view that the PM is proving to be weak in tackling corruption", Gadkari said, adding, "We have come to know about a scam involving thousands of crores of rupees in the telecom sector.

Now, according to conservative estimates, it is being pointed out that it may be scam running into more than Rs 20,000 crore" .

What action the prime minister had planned against the Union communication minister A Raza, the people of the country would like to know, Gadkari said.

Similarly, he demanded action against Union minister Sharad Pawar for his alleged involvement in the IPL issue.

Targeting Congress again, he accused the party of the recent events of social strife in Haryana, especially the incidents that happened in Mirchpur where Dalits were attacked.

"The victims were still living in New Delhi in fear and the Congress government in Haryana has been insensitive and has failed to reassure that the affected families return to their houses", Gadkari said.

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