BJP to raise Congress ‘silence’ in session

Questioning the Congress top brass’ “silence” over its senior leader Digvijay Singh sharing the dais with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and praising him, the BJP has decided to raise this issue in the coming monsoon session of Parliament. Some of the terrorists behind the recent attack at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka last week were purportedly inspired by the speeches of the controversial Islamic preacher.

BJP president Amit Shah held a meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Naik’s issue and also on his NGO . The meeting lasted nearly an hour at the party headquarters.

Sources said that Shah also made a call to Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on the issue. The BJP has decided to corner Congress on this issue in Parliament. The ruling party also asserted that Rajnath Singh had never met Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur as alleged by Digvijay Singh, who has been facing flak for praising Naik. The Congress general secretary had made the charge earlier too and Rajnath Singh had denied it.

“Rajnath Singh never met Pragya Thakur. It is a baseless claim. BJP condemns Digvijay Singh for his comments,” party’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He questioned the “silence” of Congress leaders including president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi over the issue, saying they should speak on this matter of national security. “One can understand their silence on corruption involving its chief ministers in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand besides Aircel Maxis and chopper scams as they are themselves charged in National Herald case. But they should not be silent on this issue of national security,” he said.

The BJP said if anyone “directly or indirectly supports ISIS, then it amounts to betraying the country. Investigation agencies must take stringent action,” Sharma said..