Cong, BJP spar over NIA's charge sheet

The Congress and the BJP sparred on Sunday over a National Intelligence Agency (NIA) charge sheet against five Indian Mujahideen terrorists, which claimed that the 2002 post-Godhra riots led to the birth of the terror outfit.

Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed’s remarks on microblogging site Twitter, taking a swipe at the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Saingh (RSS) and the BJP prompted a sharp riposte from the main opposition party. BJP leaders accused the Congress of playing the communal card and indulging in vote-bank politics.

“Indian Mujahideen (IM) was formed after the Gujarat riots, says NIA in its charge sheet. Even now BJP and RSS will not desist from their communal politics?” wrote Shakeel Ahmed.

“This (2002 riots) was the reason behind the creation of Indian Mujahideen. If they foresake their communal politics, outfits like IM will cease to exist,” he added. The BJP dubbed the remarks as “stupid” and “reprehensible”, contending that the Pakistan links of such outfits were well known.

“There is this competition among various Congress spokespersons and leaders to deliberately communalise the country's political scenario, because they have no answer to the stinking corruption, misgovernance, price rise, unemployment and the general sense of suffering the people of India are experiencing,” said senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.He said terror outfits were active in the country even before the 2002 riots.

“This competitive politics for vote bank to deliberately stoke communalism is reprehensible,” he said. Prasad said there has been peace in Gujarat for the last 10 years, and Muslims are becoming prosperous in the state.”  Venkaiah Naidu was also dismissive of the charge and asked Ahmed to stop arguing in favour of terrorists.