Congress misusing CBI to implicate Modi: Naidu

BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu Thursday warned that the "negative strategy" of trying to implicate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the Ishrat Jahan case by "misusing the CBI" will boomerang on the Congress.

Naidu claimed the Congress was rattled by the "massive groundswell of support" for Modi - Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate.

"A desperate Congress is now pinning its hopes on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in defaming and framing Modi and his aides.

"The Congress is playing with fire in trying to implicate Modi. Let the Congress party be warned that this negative strategy of theirs will boomerang on them," Naidu told the media here.

Mumbai college girl Ishrat Jahan and her three associates - Pranesh Gopinath Pilai, Amjad Ali and Jishan Johar - were killed by Gujarat Police in an allegedly staged shootout June 15, 2004.

Gujarat Police described them as Pakistani fidayeens who came from Jammu and Kashmir and were planning to assassinate Modi.

Naidu said the people would not accept the Congress' "dirty politicking" by "compromising" with the nation's security.

Alleging the CBI was making a national hero of a "confirmed terrorist" Ishrat Jehan, the former BJP president claimed while an affidavit had said that the Intelligence Bureau had found her LeT connections, a second affidavit was filed under "political pressure" from the Congress leadership.

"In addition to this, the Congress leadership on its part has also ensured a real and unfortunate conflict between the CBI and the IB (Intelligence Bureau)," he said.

He charged the Congress with misusing the CBI to harass political opponents, keep supporting parties under control and also try to win over the neutrals.

"The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) has ensured its longevity, courtesy the CBI. The CBI's role in investigating corruption cases against SP and BSP leaders had ensured that these parties continue to support the UPA," he added.

Referring to the National Human Rights Commission report, he said there were 555 cases of alleged fake encounters from 2009-10 to 2012-13 (till Feb 5, 2013) from across the country.

"Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 138 fake encounters, followed by the Congress-ruled states, Manipur (62) and Assam (52). Gujarat is 17th on the list with eight cases of alleged fake encounters," he said.