New Delhi, Feb 10: The Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee take action against Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy for the alleged misuse of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for his personal benefits. Clarifying that the issue was part of its poll campaign against ''institutionalisation of corruption by the NDA'', the Congress demanded that the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) lodge an FIR against Rudy immediately.

AICC spokesperson Kapil Sibal dismissed Rudy's version that the AAI had never been asked to foot the bills for his five-day stay in Goa during the year end. Sibal quoted a newspaper report that the minister had been misusing money from the public exchequer for renovating his residence.

''We stick to our demand that the minister be dismissed and arrested immediately. An investigation should be ordered against him. We know that the Prime Minister will remain silent as he has always done in every case of corruption. But if he is unmoved this time that will prove that he was aware of the whole episode,'' Sibal said.

Bureau Report