Ishrat case: BJP cites role of then HM, PM in changing affidavit

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday alleged that the decision to change the affidavit in Ishrat Jahan encounter case was taken at the “political level”, involving the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and asked the Congress to come clean on it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu charged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was misused by the then UPA government to harass its political opponent and “defame” the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is now the Prime Minister.

Naidu said the issue needs to be debated and discussed in Parliament and appropriate action needs to be taken.

“First it was the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s website. Secondly, it was David Headley’s statement and thirdly, it was central government affidavit in the Gujarat high court and the Gujarat Police also said it. The IB has said it. In spite of all these, they changed the affidavit. Now, another startling revelation by former Home Secretary GK Pillai (who is) saying that the decision to change the affidavit was taken at the political level,” Naidu said. 

He added: “Political level means the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, Prime Minister and Congress president. These are the three people who were at the helm of affairs.” 

He also cited former Under Secretary in the Home Ministry RVS Mani’s statement that he was forced and tortured.

“The torturing of a government officer by the other agency at the behest of political leadership, you can understand how much misuse was done by the previous government with regard to the CBI. How political opponents were harassed. The entire plan was to stop Narendra Modi, defame Narendra Modi, implicate Narendra Modi,” he said.

“The Congress should come clean instead of simply denying it. What do you say? What is the justification for change in affidavit? Do you have an answer? explain,” he said.

Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said it would be better if Chidambaram speaks on the matter.

“I do not have details on it. It would be better if Chidambaram speaks on it. I do not want to comment on it,” Kharge said.