The BJP and the Congress engaged in a war of words after the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on the Ayodhya title suit to February 8.
BJP president Amit Shah accused the Congress of adopting double standards saying Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is visiting temples but its senior leader Kapil Sibal is being used by the party to delay the Ayodhya case.
The Congress hit back saying the BJP chief is not even aware of the history of the case and insisted that the party will abide by the court’s verdict pointing out that it should be lawyer’s personal choice who he wants to represent in the court.
Addressing a Press conference at Ahmedabad, Shah said a surprising stand was taken in the SC by Congress leader and Sunni Waqf Board lawyer Sibal that hearing should be deferred till after 2019 lok Sabha polls. “Congress should clear its stand on this,” he said.
“Rahul ji is visiting temples in Gujarat, on the other hand Sibal wants to delay the Ram Janmbhoomi case. The Congress should give a clarification on the double standard. I also appeal to Rahul ji to tell us what his view on this is,” said the BJP chief.
Shah further hit out at the Congress Party for deferring the case when everyone wanted an early resolution of the issue.
“By seeking deferment of the Ayodhya case until after the 2019 lok Sabha polls, Sibal has politicised the legal dispute. The Congress must clarify if Sibal is representing it or the Sunni Waqf BoardIJ Or, is it the case that the board and the Congress are working in tandemIJ” he asked.
The Congress said, “Shah will not even know that the first suit in this case was filed in 1885,” said Randeep Surjewala, adding,” Who he represents in court is Sibal’s personal matter, Congress has nothing to do with it. Arun Jaitley ji was the lawyer in Bhopal gas tragedy, does that mean whole of BJP is to be blamedIJ,” Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said at a Press conference in Ahemdabad.
Surjewala also asserted party’s stand that it will always stand by Supreme Court’s verdict in the matter.
“The Congress stand has always been clear, that Ayodhya case will be decided by SC, same has been said by the law Minister many times. BJP is playing the role of ‘Manthara’,” said Surjewala.