BJP seeks apology from Sonia Gandhi over Digvijaya's ISI remark

The BJP on Monday slammed Congress leader Digvijay Singh for his allegations that the ruling party was receiving money from Pakistan's spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and sought an apology from its interim president Sonia Gandhi for linking BJP with Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that with hate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leaders were giving statements which became oxygen for Pakistan and are used as a weapon against India.

"The BJP is not only the largest party of India but of the world. It is ruling the country with the blessings of people. The Congress leader has levelled baseless allegations against it. These allegations are very serious in nature and it has to be taken seriously. We condemn these shameful allegations. Congress president Sonia Gandhi would have to answer," Patra said.

Patra was reacting to the allegations levelled by Digvijaya who in yet another controversial statement alleged that the BJP and the Bajrang Dal were receiving money from ISI.

The veteran Congress leader also alleged that non-Muslims were spying for Pakistan's ISI more than the Muslims and people need to understand this fact.

"Whom should we complain? No meaning to complain to Sonia Gandhi as we all know as said by Salman Khurshid that she kept crying for some two or three nights after the Batla House encounter. Sonia Gandhi should tender apology for linking India's ruling party to Pakistan," Patra said.

"Because of their hate for Modi, they cross all limits and even they don't understand how their statements go against India and are used by Pakistan. Their statements always become headlines in Pakistani and sometimes quoted by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Their statements provide oxygen to Pakistan," he added.

Patra also asked Singh that how he got the figures to prove his point that non-Muslims were spying for ISI.

"How Digvijay Singh got to know that as many Muslims and non-Muslims are spying for ISI. Does he know the functioning of ISI? Does he have data of ISI? All these would be known to a person who is a former spy of ISI. How does Digvijay Singh know all these? I am just asking," he said in a sarcastic attack on the senior Congress leader.

The BJP leader also hit out at Congress for coining words like "Hindu terror" and accused it of polarising the people in the name of religion just for the sake of appeasement politics.

"The words like Hindu terror and were coined by Congress leaders like Sushil Kumar Shinde, P Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh for appeasement politics. This has been the way Congress has been functioning," Patra said.

"As far as ISI and spring is concerned, why do you want to divide Hindus and Muslims? What was the need for that? This only shows your efforts to polarise the people in the name of religion. You are trying to belittle government's call of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas aur sabka vishwas'. This is the effort of Congress to divide the country between Muslims and non-Muslims," he remarked.

Referring to mention of Rahul Gandhi's claims on Kashmir being used by Pakistan at United Nations, Patra said the entire country was celebrating after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, but Congress leaders were speaking in Pakistan's language.