Cong U-turn on Atal, says no reason to disagree with Liberhan
After Union Minister Salman Khurshid gave a clean chit to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Babri Masjid demolition, Congress today took a U-turn saying it has no reason to disagree with the findings of the Liberhan Commission, which has held the ex-premier culpable.
"We have no reason to disagree with the findings of the Commission. It's not a question of Congress party exonerating or holding anybody guilty. Vajpayee has been termed pseudo- moderate in the report and we have no reason to disagree with whoseever's name has come in the Commission report," party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad told reporters here.
He was responding to questions on the statement of Minority Affairs Minister Khurshid in Lok Sabha yesterday that Vajpayee's name was "not in conspiracy" (to demolish Babri mosque) and it was "only in one of the lists".
To a specific question whether the party was disowning the minister's statement, Ahmad said, "Everybody has a right to express his views."
Asked whether Khurshid's statement is the line of Congress or not, he said, "Off course he is a Congress member and a minister" but added that nowhere had Khurshid said that Vajpayee was not involved.
"I nowhere find Khurshid saying that Vajpayee had no role (in the demolition)," Ahmad said.
The Congress leader also refused to read much in AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi's statement in Lucknow in which he said that he "respects" Vajpayee as he is a senior leader.
"It's like I respect you in some area but you have done something wrong in other area. He was the Prime Minister...he is ill and we wish him good health but that is a different thing," Ahmad said when his comments were sought on Gandhi's remarks.
