Congress distances itself from Shakeel Ahmed's tweet

The Congress Monday sought to distance itself from the remark of party leader Shakeel Ahmed, who tweeted that the 2002 Gujarat riots led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM).

"It is not the party line as of now," Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters.

However, she attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over the riots.

"Whatever happened in Gujarat, the manner in which people of a particular community were killed, such an incident has not happened anywhere else," Chowdhary said.

Senior Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, however, supported Shakeel Ahmed.

"Religious fundamentalism is at the root of terrorism," Digvijaya Singh told reporters, while explaining that even before BJP leader Narendra Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat, his party had been practising divisive politics.

"Before Independence, the Muslim League was also practising religious fundamentalism," he said.

A tweet from Ahmad alleging that the banned terror outfit "Indian Mujahideen was formed after the Gujarat riots" stirred a political storm Sunday, with the BJP reacting sharply to it.