'Bogus and baseless': Congress on BJP charge that Sonia was behind Teesta Setalvad's campaign against Modi

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday termed "baseless" the BJP's allegations that AICC president Sonia Gandhi was behind activist Teesta Setalvad's campaign against then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 riots in the state, and said the charges were "in direct contempt of" the Supreme Court's ruling.

The opposition party's reaction came a day after BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged at a press conference that the Congress-led UPA government, especially its education ministry, had given Rs 1.4 crore to an NGO run by Setalvad, and this money was used to run a campaign against Modi and also to "defame" India.

"She (Setalvad) was not alone. Who was the driving force? Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party," he had said.

Reacting to the remarks, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Twitter, "The charge by BJP spokespersons that Teesta Setalvad acted at the behest of Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi is wholly bogus and baseless."

"The Congress party condemns these allegations most forcefully. These allegations are in direct contempt of the Supreme Court's judgment," Singhvi said.

In its order on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Modi and others in the 2002 post-Godhra riots cases.

Setalvad's NGO had supported Zakia Jafri, who had filed the petition alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots, throughout her legal battle.

Jafri's husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was killed during the riots.