Ishrat Jahan case: BJP seeks probe into UPA government ‘flip-flop’

Dragging the Congress top brass into the line of fire over the then UPA government’s “flip-flop” on Ishrat Jahan “fake” encounter case to “frame” Mr Narendra Modi, the BJP on Tuesday demanded a probe into their role besides then home minister P. Chidambaram.

Questioning the CBI probe into the alleged fake encounter, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also alleged that the entire government machinery was abused.

“Enough suspicious circumstances have arisen from the statements of the home secretary, confirmed by the then under secretary that the decision was taken by Mr Chidambaram by bypassing them by changing the complete complexion (of the case)...There was a consistent campaign against Mr Modi that he needs to be framed, Amit Shah needs to be framed by hook or by by crook.”

“And the entire government machinery was abused. BJP demands that the government of India investigate this. We are demanding that a fair inquiry be done on the entire flip-flop on the Ishrat Jahan case,” Mr Prasad said.

Alleging that Mr Chidambaram followed the directions of the Congress high command, Mr Prasad made an apparent reference to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party V-P Rahul Gandhi.

Asked if the BJP also sought a fresh probe into the fake encounter case, he said he will leave it to the report of inquiry he had demanded on his party’s behalf. Mr Prasad said the probe should include who was pressurising whom and what impact it made on the country’s security apparatus and its morale.

“Did Congress party compromise with the national security due to its hate for Modi A quick probe should be done,” Mr Prasad said.

When asked if he wanted a judicial probe, he said “We are not closing that option.”

The first affidavit filed by the government had said that Ishrat and her aides were LeT operatives and there was no need for a CBI probe into their killing, he said, adding that the second affidavit changed the stand, facilitating a CBI probe that led to the arrest of several Gujarat police officials.