BJP charge in Ishrat case bundle of lies: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday dismissed as “bundle of lies” the BJP’s charge that Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi gave any direction to the then home minister P.
The Congress on Wednesday dismissed as “bundle of lies” the BJP’s charge that Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi gave any direction to the then home minister P. Chidambaram in the Ishrat Jahan case.
It also sought to take the battle to the ruling party’s camp, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of attempting to “derail” the judicial process in the fake encounter case and asked them to tell “the real motive behind desperation to shut down” the ongoing trial.
“Unlike the RSS, Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi never intervened or gave any suggestion to the then home minister P. Chidambaram or any other person or authority in the government qua any administrative matter, including the Ishrat Jahan case,” party’s chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.
Hitting back at Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Mr Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “stop perpetuating bundle of lies by using his cronies and pawns to spread falsehoods” about the role of the Congress president and the Congress vice-president.
He claimed that by such “mischievous” attempts to hoodwink and divert the attention of the people of the country, Mr Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah cannot “put a lid on the truth”.
“The PM and the BJP president owe an explanation to 125 crore Indians to tell the real motive behind desperation to shut down the ongoing trial in Ishrat Jahan case. Let truth and justice be not a casualty in this web of deceit being woven by BJP Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP spokespersons,” he said.
Ishrat and three others were killed in an encounter by the crime branch of the Ahmedabad police on June 15, 2004 on the allegation that they were LeT operatives.
The Congress spokesperson said that the PM and the BJP president need to answer as to “why are they trying to bypass the judicial findings” of the metropolitan court, Ahmedabad, and division bench of Gujarat HC, which have held that it was a fake encounter.