Amid a slugfest over the issue of opinion polls, law Minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday hit out at BJP, saying it has "turned turtle" after seeking a ban on such surveys earlier.
He said the Government has not taken any stand on the issue but mentioned that there is a "general impression" that opinion polls can be manipulated.
The advice of the EC is awaited and if it recommends a ban and the Government accepts it, an amendment will be required in the Represenation of the People Act, Sibal said. "If political parties feel that there should be a level playing field without this kind of push, then it is their point of view and we should respect that," he told PTI. He was asked about Congress' view that the opinion polls should be banned as they are "neither scientific nor is there any transparent process for such polls".
When referred to BJP's contention that the Congress was trying to kill the messenger by seeking a ban on opinion polls, the senior Congress leader shot back, "it was the BJP in 2004 which was killing the messenger" by demanding such a prohibition.
"On April 4, 2004, the then law Minister (Arun Jaitley) and the then BJP gave the opinion that there should be a ban on opinion polls along with all political parties.
"In fact, the Opposition should explain why they changed their position. Jaitley must explain why, as law Minister in ’04, he supported the ban and in ’13 he talks about freedom of expression. What happened to freedom of expression in 2004IJ Why BJP turned turtleIJ” Sibal said.