BJP used Shah to save Modi, says Cong

No pressure on CBI to act against accused: Centre

The entire episode on Shah, according to the Congress, is just to deflect attention from Modi. “Amit Shah and Modi’s contention of CBI being used as a political tool is an illogical defence mechanism. Ultimately, the court will ask certain uncomfortable questions and investigations will lead to Modi. The BJP and Modi are trying to create a block here and are making Shah the scapegoat,” Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told newsmen here.

Another party spokesman, Manish Tewari, accused Shah and the BJP of not having read the affidavit filed by the state. “They are advised to read the affidavit (submitted in 2007 by Inspector General of Police Geeta Johri) before shooting their mouth off.... Why not speak in defence to the investigating agency instead of going public while absconding?” he asked.

The BJP, however, defended their stand saying Shah abided by the law by putting in his papers.

“He (Shah) has not received the chargesheet, yet he resigned. According to law, if a person gets summons, he has the right to send his lawyer on his behalf...he is following the law,” Party Spokesperson, Prakash Javadekar, said.
Javadekar also said there was no drama behind Shah’s appearance at a press conference in Ahmedabad, where he claimed the allegations against him were “fabricated and politically motivated”.

Reiterating the BJP’s stand that the Congress is using the CBI against its opponents, Javadekar said, “It tries to harass them to the maximum and people of India are watching this behaviour of the CBI.”

No role

Meanwhile, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday rejected the BJP’s allegations that the Congress had exerted pressure on the CBI to act against former Gujarat minister Amit Shah over the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh “fake” encounter case.

“The Congress has no role to play in the matter. It was the CBI which has chargesheeted Shah. He will have an opportuinty to present his case in the court,” Sibal told reporters here.

Criticising the BJP leaders for giving a clean chit to Shah, the Union minister said what mattered was the clean chit by the court and not by any party.

Sibal also slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for “dithering” on the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) and for demanding that the Centre bore the entire education expenditure in the state.

 “If a chief minister says that she does not have the money for educating children, then the parents of the children will certainly give her a befitting reply in 2012 (when the state will go to Assembly polls),” he said.

“She got a reply in the 2009 general election and she will again get a final reply in 2012,” Sibal said, apparently referring to the dismal performance of the BSP in the Lok Sabha elections  and the Congress’s “much improved showing.”