Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday criticised Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh for his claim that the slain Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief, Hemant Karkare, had told him hours before the 26/11 terror attacks that he feared for his safety from Hindu extremists.
Asked at a press conference here about Mr. Singh's comments, Mr. Naidu said Congress leaders were making comments that would embolden and make Pakistan happy.
He said they were talking as they pleased and mentioned the reported remarks of some leaders that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was behind the demand for constituting a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
“Sensitive matter”
Mr. Naidu said he wondered why Mr. Karkare had spoken to Mr. Singh and not to the Union Home Minister or the Prime Minister and added that the Congress was playing politics on such a sensitive and serious matter.
He said the response of Mr. Karkare's wife, Kavita, was a “slap on their face,” and expressed the hope that Congress leaders would desist from making such “meaningless comments.”
Rajnath smells a rat
PTI reports from Kanpur:
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked the Congress to clarify its position on Mr. Digvijay Singh's remarks.
“If Mr. Karkare was facing any threat to his life, then he should have given the information either to the Home Ministry or the Intelligence Bureau. Why did he choose only Mr. Digvijay Singh for this purpose? This is intriguing.”
He said he smelt a rat behind the entire episode.
Mr. Digvijay Singh's remarks could influence the Mumbai terror attack investigations, Mr. Rajnath Singh said.
Togadia flays Digvijay's remark
Staff Reporter writes from Coimbatore:
Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia on Sunday slammed Mr. Digvijay Singh's for his remarks on 26/11.
Talking to journalists here, Mr. Togadia said Mr. Digvijay Singh's comments suggested that he was a Pakistani supporter. “He should contest elections not from Madhya Pradesh but from Lahore.”
