Sonia, Rahul should apologise to country for defaming Hindus globally: BJP

The BJP said on Tuesday that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and party president Rahul Gandhi will have to apologise to the Hindu community of India for defaming them globally and taking Hindus for granted.

Addressing a press conference, party’s spokesperson Sambit Patra and GVL Narasimha Rao said, “BJP has demanded apology from Sonia and Rahul (on behalf of) the country for coining the term ‘Hindu terrorism’ and ‘saffron terrorism.’”

Patra said that Rahul had exposed ‘his party’s anti-Hindu thinking’ when he had told US ambassador on July 20, 2009 that “Home-grown Hindu extremist groups are a bigger threat than terror outfit LeT.” 

“If Congress considers India to be its own, then Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the whole country for defaming the great Hindu religion by trying to prove that there was something called ‘saffron terror,’” he said.

After the Mecca Masjid verdict on Monday in which all the accused were set free, the BJP never questioned or commented on the court’s judgement and fully trusted the judiciary of the country, Patra said.

He added that they came to know from the media that Congress leaders in a press conference have asked for evidence showing that Rahul or any party functionary had used the term ‘saffron terror’ and that ‘there was no such thing as saffron rerror.’ Patra said he accepted the challenge and showed to the media the Wikileaks telegram with all the details.

He said on August 3, 2009, United States Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer had signed the telegram, and sent it to the US State Department. “In a candid conversation during a lunch which was hosted by by then PM Mamohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi was seated next to Roemer. In para 5c, responding about activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the region, Rahul had said there was some support in certain groups of India’s indigenous community, however, there was the risk of homegrown Hindu activists in the country reacting to terror attacks from Pakistan,” the BJP leader said.

“Roemer says Rahul was referring to tensions created by polarising figures in the BJP such as Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in July 2009 during the conversation,” Patra said, adding that this had happened just one year after the LeT had carried out 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

Asserting that Gandhi will have to give an answer, Patra saidthat he had exposed Congress’ biggest leader. “It was an important dinner, a solemn occasion and an important conversation... Rahul can’t pass the buck. He was number 2 in the party. His words carried seriousness and mass,” the BJP leader said.

Demanding an answer from the Congress, Patra said that P Chidambaram must answer, as he signed in all the cases. He challenged Rahul and and Chidambaram to hold a press conference and speak out now that “We (BJP) have given proof.”

Rao said that one of the people in the Congress’ list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections, one of the candidates has connections with absconding businessman Mehul Choksi. Recalling earlier events, Rao said that in September 2013, Rahul was involved in Geetanjali jewels promotions which was Choksi’s company. A few days later, director of Allahabad Bank was sacked because he highlighted certain lacunae. In another case, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Sanghvi’s wife had bought jewellery worth Rs 5 cr with unaccounted payment.

He said that HS Chandramouli (being fielded from Madikeri) was legal consultant to Choksi in Bangalore in a cheating case. A criminal complaint was filed against him but was later changed to civil complaint. Chandramowli was also legal consultant to KJ George, accused in a death case, wherein the SC sought an investigation.

“Choksi is treated as the third son-in-law after Robert Vadra and Vijay Mallya, (wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering),” said Rao. He demanded that Congress should exlain whether the links of Choksi with Karnataka government was sheer coincidence.

In the Kathua case, Rao said the BJP has shown its sincerity and commitment and taken action against its own members at political level.  

UNI