Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari has demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and All-India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi apologise to the people within eight days regarding the Delhi government's delay in sending the file of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Launching an attack on the Congress at a Nava Chaitanya Saddassu convention organised by the Andhra Pradesh BJP unit here on Monday, Mr. Gadkari accused the ruling party of falling on its knees instead of fighting terrorism, as it lacked the necessary courage. The BJP would launch a nationwide agitation if Dr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi failed to apologise.
Referring to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit's admission that the file was not forwarded to the Ministry for four years due to “pressure” from the former Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, Mr. Gadkari wondered at whose instance Mr. Patil had acted. “Was it Dr. Singh or Ms. Gandhi,” he asked.
He also wanted both leaders to give answers about those martyred in the Parliament attack.
Stating that no action was taken in spite of the Supreme Court order, Mr. Gadkari said the BJP was not against Muslims but against terrorists and organisations such as the Al-Qaeda, the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Inter-Services Intelligence.
Stating that the country's borders were insecure, the BJP chief said the Centre with not doing enough to stop infiltrators.
