Sonia Gandhi-led NAC was ‘supporting naxalites’ during UPA regime: BJP
NEW DELHI : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged that during the UPA regime, Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) was a “supporting ground for naxalites”. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused it of compromising national security for political opportunist.
The BJP on Tuesday alleged that during the UPA regime, Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) was a “supporting ground for naxalites”. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused it of compromising national security for political opportunism.
Patra alleged that senior opposition leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh extended support to people with “naxal links”.However, there were no immediate reactions from the Congress leaders.
Addressing a press conference here, the BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra also alleged the Congress tried to “mainstream maoism and naxalism” during its rule amd the party should therefore call itself the “Congress Party of Maoists” or the Indian National Congress (Maoists).
Showing a letter which he said was written by one ‘comrade’ to another, Patra said it talked about the Congress willing to fund their activities and contacting Digvijaya Singh for assistance.
“National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with national security only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has been doing so,” Patra told reporters.
He claimed the letter was written by ‘Comrade Surendra to Comrade Prakash’ on September 25 and it says the Congress leaders were willing to assist and fund the process. He alleged the letter contained a phone number of Digvijaya Singh, who he said was the Congress president “Rahul Gandhi’s guru”.
Patra alleged the Congress has always been double-faced on naxalism, as some opposed it while there are others within the party who have romanticised naxalism.“The National Advisory Council, the coterie of those who were closest to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was the supporting ground for naxalities,” Patra said.
Patra also claimed that former union minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to the Maharashtra Government to release Mahesh Raut, an activist who was arrested in for his “naxal links”.Accusing the Congress of having “so much love for convicted naxals”, Patra alleged the party compromised the national security for way too longPatra alleged that senior opposition leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh extended support to people with “naxal links”.
However, there were no immediate reactions from the Congress leaders.Addressing a press conference here, the BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra also alleged the Congress tried to “mainstream maoism and naxalism” during its rule amd the party should therefore call itself the “Congress Party of Maoists” or the Indian National Congress (Maoists).
Showing a letter which he said was written by one ‘comrade’ to another, Patra said it talked about the Congress willing to fund their activities and contacting Digvijaya Singh for assistance.
“National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with national security only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has been doing so,” Patra told reporters.
He claimed the letter was written by ‘Comrade Surendra to Comrade Prakash’ on September 25 and it says the Congress leaders were willing to assist and fund the process. He alleged the letter contained a phone number of Digvijaya Singh, who he said was the Congress president “Rahul Gandhi’s guru”.
Patra alleged the Congress has always been double-faced on naxalism, as some opposed it while there are others within the party who have romanticised naxalism.“The National Advisory Council, the coterie of those who were closest to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was the supporting ground for naxalities,” Patra said.
Patra also claimed that former union minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to the Maharashtra Government to release Mahesh Raut, an activist who was arrested in for his “naxal links”.Accusing the Congress of having “so much love for convicted naxals”, Patra alleged the party compromised the national security for way too lon
Accusing the Congress of patronising and funding the maoists, the BJP said on Monday that the now-defunct National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi during the previous UPA regime, was the body for “supporting naxalism”.
BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media that Congress mainstreamed maoism during its tenure and suggested that the party should rename itself as “Indian National Congress (Maoist)” or the “Congress Party of Maoists”.
“National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with it only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has always been doing. In this trail we have another letter written to comrade Surendra by comrade Prakash on September 25 which contained a phone number of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh,” Sambit Patra said.
Apart from the telephone number, there’s also a reference in the letter which said “Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund for further agitations whenever such opportunity is arrived. In this regard you can contact at our friend the number…”
Sambit Patra claimed that the mobile number mentioned was of Digvijay Singh. “He has not yet denied that this was not his number,” he said.Referring to Digvijay Singh’s remarks, which created controversies after the Batla House encounter, 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and Zakir Naik arrest warrant, Sambit Patra said the Congress has always been at the forefront of manufacturing agitations.
“We can say that confusion, conspiracy and Congress are synonymous. They have always adopted a double standard on the issue of maoism. Manmohan Singh (former prime minister) had said that maoism was a grave threat to internal security. But there were some who have romanticised the maoism within the Congress and the biggest example of it was the coterie closest to then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, called the NAC,” he said.
The BJP Spokesperson said that the NAC, which was the brainchild of Sonia Gandhi, “in fact was a ground for supporting Naxalism”.
He claimed that A Padma, the wife of a top naxal leader A Hargopal alias Ramakrishna, was made in charge of an orphanage named ‘Aman Vedika’ of Harsh Mander, an important member of NAC. We all know how close he was to Sonia Gandhi. She was one among the eight maoists, who were freed to save the life of abducted Malkangiri collector in 2011.
He said Binayak Sen, who was convicted for sedition in 2010, was appointed in Planning Commission and in most important body – the steering committee on health. Sambit Patra claimed former union minister Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavhan for the release of Mahesh Raut, a maoist, who was arrested due to his maoist links.
“This was mainstreaming of maoism under Congress. Why did Congress have so much love for convicted maoists,” he said accusing Congress of compromising with national security.
“Very humbly, we would give an advise to you also. Please rename yourself. Either you call yourself Indian National Congress (Maoist) or Congress Party of Maoists because this is the way you are behaving. You should approach the election commission and ask them that you want to be called INC (M) or CPM,” he said.
He also hit out at Digvijay Singh, asking why it is that underground maoists seem to have fusion with Congress.”Why Digvijay Singh appears to be speaking for maoists. How long the Congress will continue to play with national security,” he asked.
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