BENGALURU: Accusing the Congress of subverting justice in the 1984 Sikh massacre case and lying through its teeth in the Rafale deal matter, the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded Rahul Gandhi’s resignation as Congress chief.
Bustling with new found vigour over the Rafale deal after the Supreme Court’s verdict, the BJP held press conferences at 70 locations across the country. The Bengaluru edition of the media address was held by BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra who thanked the judiciary for its clean chit in the Rafale deal case and sentencing Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to a life term in the 1984 Sikh riot case.
“Sajjan Kumar has been imprisoned for life but Rahul Gandhi has been imprisoned in his own conscience. He should resign immediately as the party chief for he and his mother Sonia Gandhi sat over justice,” Patra said. He added that the Delhi High Court’s verdict in the 1984 riots case was an indictment of the entire Congress party and not Kumar alone.
The BJP’s press conference across the country was an attempt to demolish the Congress’ carefully constructed narrative over the Rafale deal. “Three sets of PILs, in my opinion ‘Politically Inclined Petitions’, have been junked by the apex court. Congress politicked in a sensitive matter like procurement of defence deals,” he said, accusing the Congress of promoting the ‘middlemen’ culture with Christian Michel in the AgustaWestland case and Quattrocchi in Bofors case.
Welcoming the court’s verdict in the 84’ riot case, BJP accused the Congress of subverting justice. “This is a classic example of misleading the courts in India and subverting institutions, including commissions, committees, investigating bodies,” he said.
Patra pointed to Kamal Nath’s oath-taking ceremony on the day of Sajjan Kumar’s conviction, questioning the Congress on the message it was trying to send. “His name crops up along with affidavits and evidence before the Nanavati commission set up by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to probe the riots. Look at the double face of Congress, they have made him the CM of MP,” he said.