<p>Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday termed as “absurd” allegations levelled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that “Maoists and jihadists” have earned the sympathy of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>“The allegation that jihadists and Maoists have earned the sympathy of Rahul Gandhi is laughable and absurd. The Congress is stoutly opposed to the two groups,” Chidambaram, a former home minister, said.</p>.<p>Chidambaram's remarks come a day after the BJP accused the Congress of “dividing the nation” citing remarks of its leaders Saifuddin Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad over Kashmir.</p>.<p>Azad, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had said in a television interview that more civilians were killed in military operations in Kashmir than militants, a statement that was reportedly echoed by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba.</p>.<p>Chidambaram asserted that under the UPA, the government had fought the jihadists in Jammu & Kashmir and brought down the level of violence substantially.</p>.<p>“Who can forget that the Congress practically lost its entire leadership in Chhattisgarh to Maoist violence,” he said.</p>.<p>In a hard-hitting article on Facebook, Jaitley on Friday had said that terrorists and the jihadis were threatening the human rights of the citizens in Jammu & Kashmir.</p>.<p>He alleged that though the Congress historically and ideologically would have been opposed to these groups, they have earned sympathy in Rahul's heart.</p>
<p>Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday termed as “absurd” allegations levelled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that “Maoists and jihadists” have earned the sympathy of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>“The allegation that jihadists and Maoists have earned the sympathy of Rahul Gandhi is laughable and absurd. The Congress is stoutly opposed to the two groups,” Chidambaram, a former home minister, said.</p>.<p>Chidambaram's remarks come a day after the BJP accused the Congress of “dividing the nation” citing remarks of its leaders Saifuddin Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad over Kashmir.</p>.<p>Azad, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had said in a television interview that more civilians were killed in military operations in Kashmir than militants, a statement that was reportedly echoed by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba.</p>.<p>Chidambaram asserted that under the UPA, the government had fought the jihadists in Jammu & Kashmir and brought down the level of violence substantially.</p>.<p>“Who can forget that the Congress practically lost its entire leadership in Chhattisgarh to Maoist violence,” he said.</p>.<p>In a hard-hitting article on Facebook, Jaitley on Friday had said that terrorists and the jihadis were threatening the human rights of the citizens in Jammu & Kashmir.</p>.<p>He alleged that though the Congress historically and ideologically would have been opposed to these groups, they have earned sympathy in Rahul's heart.</p>
