‘Not necessary that whatever Sonia says happens’

Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said on Thursday said that contrary to widely held belief, “it is not necessary that whatever Congress president Sonia Gandhi says happens.”

Speaking to journalists here, Mr. Amar Singh said that long before Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh raised a demand for a probe into the Batla House encounter, he himself had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get the matter investigated.

Ms. Gandhi supported the demand, but it was turned down on grounds that it would affect the morale of the police force.

Mr. Amar Singh said that as soon as the encounter occurred, he had raised a demand in the United Progressive Alliance-SP coordination committee for a probe.

“But the [then] National Security Adviser opposed it. The Prime Minister said it would demoralise the police force. Ms. Gandhi supported the demand, as also her political adviser Ahmed Patel. I realised then that it was not necessary that whatever Sonia Gandhi says, happens,” he said.

Mr. Singh also recalled that he visited the spot, as did Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Two persons accused in terror attacks and a police officer were killed in the incident.

Seeking to know where Mr. Digvijay Singh was then, Mr. Amar Singh said that only Congress leader Salman Khursheed and later, Kapil Sibal, had sought a probe.

During his visit to Sanjarpur in Azamgarh, Mr. Digvijay Singh sought an investigation into the encounter. The two accused killed were from Sanjarpur.