We expect Sonia Gandhi to not play politics over violence: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday hit out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi for criticising the Centre over violence in northeast Delhi and said that the latter should have understood the importance of peace instead of playing politics.

"Today Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has asked certain questions concerning the tension in Delhi. It is time for all of us to speak in one voice for the common objective of bringing peace at the earliest and restore amity and brotherhood. The Prime Minister too has tweeted making an appeal for peace. Home Minister Amit Shah had called an all-party meeting," Prasad told ANI.

"We expected Mrs. Gandhi to properly understand the sensitive importance of peace and not to play politics. I regret she did the same today," he added.

The Union Minister added that the police and the parliamentary forces are on the ground to restore peace and order.

"We know there have been instances of people seeking to instigate violence. Many people were even throwing objects from their roofs. Those are matters of investigation," said Prasad.

"A lot can be said about the Congress party...how they sought to in a way impinge about the morale of forces in the wake of Balakot by seeking proof. In the wake of what happened in the Uri attack. I don't want to raise that but we will. Today it should be our common endeavour that peace and amity must be restored at the earliest," he added.

Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi, while addressing a press conference in New Delhi, had blamed the Centre and the Delhi Government for not taking requisite measure to curb violence in the national capital and added: "It is rather shocking, it was expected of the top leadership of Central and state government to speak up (about violence in Delhi)."

The Union Minister also criticised the Congress for boycotting the state dinner hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the honour of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday.

"Mrs. Gandhi, why is it that none of your leaders of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and the former Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh chose to attend the state dinner given by the President of India in the honour of President Trump and the First Lady? Only because you (Sonia Gandhi) were not invited," said Prasad.

"Has Congress party stooped to such a level that the image of the country becomes secondary and the supposed prestige of the family becomes primary? Mrs.