Congress leader attacks BJP; diversionary tactic, allege others.
Under attack from the BJP and Left to fend for himself by his party after his comment on slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has chosen to go on the offensive.
On Sunday, Singh stood by his remark that Karkare’s life was under threat from right-wing groups but clarified that he never doubted the role of Pakistani elements in the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
Launching a counter-attack on the BJP, which has slammed his remark as “stupid and idiotic”, Singh sought to corner the party for its connections with right-wing extremists.
“I want to ask (LK) Advaniji and Rajnathji why they went to meet the prime minister after Sadhvi Pragya was arrested after the Malegaon blast. Why did Rajnathji go to the jail to meet her? The BJP has to answer these questions before they ask some to my prime minister,” he said.
Singh maintained that at no point did he express any doubt about Karkare being killed by Pakistani terrorists.
“I also never said that right-wing activists were behind the terror attacks.” Earlier, Karkare’s widow Kavita had accused him of indulging in vote-bank politics and giving a handle to Pakistan in the fight against terror.
The Congress has distanced itself from the leader. “What is the need to bring up such issues now?” asked a party MP. Any attempt to drag Hindu radicals into 26/11, which has been internationally recognised as the handiwork Pakistan, would go against the Congress, said an AICC functionary.
However, many in the party and outside believe it is a diversionary tactic. “Singh is a seasoned politician. There has to be some method in his madness,” said a senior party functionary.
“At a time when the Congress is in a vulnerable position over a series of serious corruption allegations, Singh is making a clever attempt to divert the debate,” said another leader.
Shiv Sena’s senior leader Sanjay Raut echoed it.
Singh, who is entrusted with the charge of Assam which is among the five states going for elections next year, is also positioning himself as “a champion of Muslims,” another leader said.
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