BJP also slammed congress for politicising the issue.
The BJP Government in Gujarat on Thursday hailed the disclosure by terrorist David Headley that Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan was an operative of militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, but her family said her name was being used for "political benefit of some big people".
"Headley's testimony before a Mumbai Court today has proved that Ishrat was receiving guidance from LeT and tried to spread terror in Gujarat at that time. Gujarat Police thwarted all kinds of terrorist attacks in the past and we will continue to work in that direction," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said.
Another senior BJP Minister Vijay Rupani slammed Congress for "politicising" the issue and alleged the Opposition tried to malign the image of then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and state Home Minister Amit Shah at that time over the encounter of Ishrat and three others.
"When Modiji as Chief Minister and Amitbhai as Home Minister were taking strong steps to curb terrorism in Gujarat and in India, Congress tried to politicise the whole issue by claiming that terrorists were innocent," said Rupani, who holds Transport portfolio.
"Now, after Headley's testimony, it is established that Ishrat was a terrorist and steps taken by our Government at that time were just and proper. Now, everyone has to admit that Gujarat Government was right at that time."
Ishrat's sister expressed surprise over the claim made by the Pakistani-American terrorist and said investigations have proved she was "innocent" but killed in a "fake encounter".
"It has been proved in investigations that it was a fake encounter. We are not saying this, it has been proved by the Indian investigators that my sister, Ishrat, was innocent. She was killed..it was a fake encounter and a political conspiracy," Ishrat's sister Musarrat said in Mumbai.
"Many big people are involved in it. Headley is saying all this because they will benefit politically out of it. I don't understand that despite investigations , which has proved she was innocent, why judgement in the case is taking so long. He (Headley) is a terrorist and is in jail in the US, how does his statement counts?" she asked.
"There are big people involved in this fake encounter I do not want to take any names. All I want to day is that what others say does not matter. We are fighting a legal battle for past 11 years and it has been proved that it was a fake encounter. What Headley is saying, I don't care. All I know and concerned is that my sister was innocent. We don't agree to what others say," she said.
Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said the High Court as well as the SIT have already "admitted" that the 2004 encounter was fake, and demanded a fresh probe in the episode.
"After today's claim by Headley, there must be a fresh probe about who was Ishrat and in what activities she was involved. It is a fact that many fake encounters took place in Gujarat and Ishrat's encounter was one of them," he said.
"As a party, we do not want to comment much. It is not important who was Ishrat. It is a fact that her encounter was fake and the High Court as well as SIT have admitted the same in the past," added Modhwadia.
In Mumbai, NCP said if Ishrat was indeed a terrorist, BJP should explain why was she killed when crucial evidence could have been gained from her interrogation.
"Ishrat's family is fighting a case in court, which will decide if she was a terrorist or not. The NCP will not support any terrorist," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters when asked about the party's stand on Headley's revelation.
"But, if the BJP says they stand vindicated, they have to now explain to the people why did this fake encounter take place. If she was indeed a terrorist, crucial evidence could have been gained from her. What is that (Gujarat) Government wanted to hide by gunning her down?," he asked.
Four persons - Ishrat, a 19-year-old college student girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter with Gujarat Police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. Crime Branch had said the four were LeT terrorists on a mission to kill then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
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