A war of words broke out Sundaybetween Markandeya Katju and the BJP over his article criticalof Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with party leader ArunJaitley dubbing the PCI Chairman as "more Congress than theCongress" and demanding his resignation.
Katju, a retired Supreme Court judge, hit back at Jaitleyaccusing him of twisting facts and asked him to quitpolitics.
Jaitley, in a statement here, said Katju's article in anewspaper against Modi read more like a personal tirade andwondered whether the former Supreme Court judge was trying tohold a brief for those who have been convicted in the Godhratrain burning incident.
Katju had said that "there is still a mystery of whathappened in Godhra" and he found it hard to believe "that Modihad no hand in 2002", referring to the Gujarat riots.
Referring to the Press Council of India Chairman'scriticism of Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,Jaitley said,
"His attacks on non-Congress governments whetherin West Bengal, Bihar or Gujarat seem more in the nature ofthanks-giving to those who provided him with a post retirementjob."
He took exception to Katju's remarks that the people ofthe country should not make the same mistake made by theGermans in 1933.
"I concede to Justice Katju the right to hold hispolitical views, but can the occupant of a job whosefunctioning is quasi-judicial openly participate in politicalactivity. His appeal is political. He appears to be moreCongress than the Congress party," Jaitley said, adding heshould "either quit before actively participating in politicsor be sacked."
Katju, in turn, accused Jaitley of twisting facts and saidthat he had written "very strong" letters to Congress-ruledMaharashtra's Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan over the arrestof two girls for a Facebook post after the death of Shiv Senasupremo Bal Thackeray.