The Hindu : National : BJP expects ‘objective decision’

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Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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BJP expects ‘objective decision’

Special Correspondent

Issue of show cause notice to Sonia

“Wrong of Sonia to make such remarks about Modi”
Modi has disowned statement regarding Sohrabuddin attributed to him

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday appreciated the Election Commission’s action of issuing show cause notices to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her “merchants of death” comment at an election rally in Gujarat and to Congress leader Digvijay Singh for his “Hindu terrorists” remark.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “We expect an objective decision will be taken at the earliest in the light of Ms. Gandhi’s statement, which is patently violative of the Model Code of Conduct.”

Referring to varying interpretations emanating from the Congress on Ms. Gandhi’s statement, Mr. Prasad said that while Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal tried to deflect the issue, saying that it did not target any individual, fellow Congressman Abhishek Singhvi owned up to her making the comment.

Mr. Prasad said it was wrong of the Congress president to describe a democratically elected Chief Minister and government as “merchants of death.”

Also, he pointed out that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had disowned the statement regarding Sohrabuddin Sheikh that was attributed to him by the media.

Setalvad criticised

The spokesman also criticised social activist Teesta Setalvad and lyricist Javed Akhtar, who had petitioned the Supreme Court and the Election Commission against Mr. Modi’s remarks on Sohrabuddin.

“They did not utter a word about the violence in Nandigram. Neither have they spoken about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. They only speak about Gujarat.”

Untenable: Congress

PTI reports:

The Congress on Sunday described as “completely untenable” the BJP’s attempt to equate its chief Sonia Gandhi’s “merchants of death” remark with Mr. Modi’s utterances on Sohrabuddin’s encounter killing.

“Indeed, the BJP’s attempt to equate the statement of Mr. Modi and the Congress president is completely untenable ... you cannot compare the incomparables,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

He said the BJP’s contention that Mr. Modi was provoked into making the utterances by Ms. Gandhi’s remarks was a “desperate attempt to justify the unjustifiable and a desperate attempt to cover up.”

Mr. Singhvi said while Mr. Modi had “unprecedentedly admitted to a capital crime, the Congress president had talked about misgovernance, about the climate of lawlessness, the climate of insecurity.”

Ms. Gandhi was within her rights to raise the same in a political campaign, he said.

Mr. Singhvi said the notice issued by the Election Commission has been received by the party and it was being studied.

He said: “It will be made very clear that there is no question directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever of violating the Model Code of Conduct by Ms. Gandhi.”

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