Date:18/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/18/stories/2008111860541200.htm

National

Congress, Left criticise Rajnath Singh

Special Correspondent

For supporting those accused of terror attacks

Investigation agencies will be demoralised: Paswan
Attempt to sabotage enquiry: AIFB

NEW DELHI: The Congress, Left parties and the Lok Jan Shakti Party on Monday questioned the stand of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh coming out in support of persons being investigated for the Malegoan blast and other terror attacks in the country.

“The BJP is guilty of blatant politicisation of investigation and blatant communalisation of terrorism. The BJP president has given advance clean chit to those accused of terror attacks,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here.

The Congress, he said, had always maintained that terrorism had no colour, race, religion or politics and accused the BJP of communalising terror. He wondered what morale agencies investigating such incidents would have when a political party such as the BJP adopted such a posture.

Dangerous statement

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement that the BJP leadership was making the dangerous argument that no person affiliated to Hindutva organisations could be investigated for terrorist offences. “This has shown up the BJP’s stance against terrorism and exposed its rabid communal outlook,” the statement said.

It said the BJP and the RSS were mounting a campaign to pressure the police and administration not to pursue the cases, which have assumed serious ramifications with the arrest of a serving Army officer.

The investigation must be conducted with vigour and the terrorists brought to book, the CPI (M) statement said.

Terming Mr. Rajnath Singh’s statement as an attempt to sabotage the enquiry, the All India Forward Bloc said the BJP stand would encourage religious fundamentalists and other terrorist groups to carry on their anti-national activities without any fear.

In a statement, the party said all terrorist activities should be investigated thoroughly and impartially.

Union Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan too condemned the stand taken by the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. He said their stand would demoralise the investigation agencies and also hinder proper investigation.