Cong, BJP spar over Batla House encounter verdict
26 July 2013 11:01 PM GMT
The Delhi court verdict in the Batla House case on Thursday led to a political war of words, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding an apology to the the statements made by Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, who had questioned the genuiness of the encounter.
‘Digvijay Singh should realise that the statements given by him were false and he was indulging in vote bank politics. The congress general secretary should accept his mistake and should say that the statements made by him were false,’ said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
Digvijay Singh, who had raised questions over the genuineness of the September 2008 encounter in South Delhi, said he respects the judgement but stuck to his demand for a judicial inquiry, saying it was fully justified stand. ‘ I respect the judgement. It is for the aggrieved party to either accept the verdict or go into appeal. I had asked for a Judicial Inquiry into Batla encounter which I felt was fully justified but it was denied,I reiterate my earlier stand,’ said Singh, who also refused to apologise to BJP for his remarks.
Contending that the BJP has the habit of criticising it, Congress said all sections should accept the verdict and guard against speaking irresponsibly or politicising the issue so that the morale of police forces is not undermined. ‘If we say white, the BJP will say black. If the Congress will give some other colour, the BJP will give another colour. I don’t think that is relevant what is relevant is that the police has been able to prove their case against one accused they were able to apprehend,’ said finance minister P Chidambaram, while criticising the principal opposition party.
When referred to the doubts expressed by some leaders like Digvijay Singh over the encounter, Chidambaram said they were reflecting the views of families who were affected or the people of that area. ‘I know that emotion was quite high. The families and residents of the area felt very strongly. I think my colleagues were simply reflecting the views they had heard. I don not think they had access to any independent material, independent access to materials,’ said the finance minister.
The BJP, however, attacked the Congress for the difference of opinion emerging within the party, ‘It was a bizarre situation. While the government honoured late inspector M C Sharma for bravery, senior Congress leaders and functionaries of the ruling dispensation had raised questions on the veracity of the encounter,’ said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.
‘Digvijay Singh should realise that the statements given by him were false and he was indulging in vote bank politics. The congress general secretary should accept his mistake and should say that the statements made by him were false,’ said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
Digvijay Singh, who had raised questions over the genuineness of the September 2008 encounter in South Delhi, said he respects the judgement but stuck to his demand for a judicial inquiry, saying it was fully justified stand. ‘ I respect the judgement. It is for the aggrieved party to either accept the verdict or go into appeal. I had asked for a Judicial Inquiry into Batla encounter which I felt was fully justified but it was denied,I reiterate my earlier stand,’ said Singh, who also refused to apologise to BJP for his remarks.
Contending that the BJP has the habit of criticising it, Congress said all sections should accept the verdict and guard against speaking irresponsibly or politicising the issue so that the morale of police forces is not undermined. ‘If we say white, the BJP will say black. If the Congress will give some other colour, the BJP will give another colour. I don’t think that is relevant what is relevant is that the police has been able to prove their case against one accused they were able to apprehend,’ said finance minister P Chidambaram, while criticising the principal opposition party.
When referred to the doubts expressed by some leaders like Digvijay Singh over the encounter, Chidambaram said they were reflecting the views of families who were affected or the people of that area. ‘I know that emotion was quite high. The families and residents of the area felt very strongly. I think my colleagues were simply reflecting the views they had heard. I don not think they had access to any independent material, independent access to materials,’ said the finance minister.
The BJP, however, attacked the Congress for the difference of opinion emerging within the party, ‘It was a bizarre situation. While the government honoured late inspector M C Sharma for bravery, senior Congress leaders and functionaries of the ruling dispensation had raised questions on the veracity of the encounter,’ said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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