In the light of Pakistan-American terrorist David Headley’s deposition that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an encounter in Gujarat in 2004, was a “leT operative”, the BJP on Thursday sought an apology from the Congress leadership for deliberately “targeting” and indulging in “politics of revenge” against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah over her killing and “politicising” a serious issue of national security.
Congress head Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the nation for “the conspiracy” to defame those investigating the case, said BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma while addressing a Press conference here on Thursday.
“The lashker-e-Tayyeba (leT) agent Ishrat was described as martyr and Gujarat Crime Branch, Intelligence Bureau and CBI were defamed by the then Congress Government,” said Sharma while seeking apology from the Congress top leaders.
He said police personnel who fought terrorists risking their lives were put behind bars by the then “conspiratorial UPA Government.”
“Headley’s deposition that she was a leT’s suicide bomber has unmasked those who do politics over terrorism. We do not expect any morality from the Congress. But if Sonia and her son Rahul, who is a champion in politics of conspiracy, have any shame left, then they must apologise to the nation.
“They should apologise to the police personnel’ families who had to suffer after they were put in jail for killing these terrorists in encounter. The Congress and its allies linked terrorists with religion to mask their corrupt governance,” Sharma said.
The BJP leader alleged that the Congress always practiced “politics of appeasement and vote bank”.
The BJP leader also pointed to the comments of Congress leaders questioning the Batla House encounter and their allusion to RSS hand in 26/11 Mumbai attacks to attack the Opposition party. “It has become clear that the Congress played with national security. It is height of hate politics,” he said.
The BJP cited a number of developments during the UPA’s tenure, including “contradictory” affidavits filed in court over Ishrat case and NIA’s reported decision to omit Headley’s statement to it in which he allegedly said that she was an leT terrorist, to argue that Congress used her killing to target Modi and Shah, then a Gujarat Minister and now party chief.
Somebody had stated she was a college-going girl and somebody else said she was a martyr and all these people have been unmasked now, Sharma said. He claimed that Ishrat and her associates were on a mission to kill Modi and attack religious places.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain also attacked the “secular brigade” and took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for using Ishrat’s killing as an issue during then Bihar polls by terming her a “Bihar ki beti”.
Another party spokesperson Nalin Kohli noted that leT had portrayed her as a “martyr” on its website but “Government agencies at that time were put at war with each other and attempts were made at fixing individuals... Instead of finding the truth”.
Meanwhile Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju welcomed Headley’s revelations. “Whatever revelations have come, all are good for the Government of India, security agencies and prosecution,” he told reporters.
“His (Headley) revelations are giving right direction to the investigating agencies and prosecution. It is good for all of us,” said Rijiju.