Cong says BJP trying to derail Ishrat Jahan trial

Sambit Patra had yesterday asked Chidambaram to name the "culprit" who asked him to change the affidavit

The Congress has dismissed the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)'s allegations that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi had issued directions to former home minister P Chidambaram in the Ishrat Jahan case. Describing it as a "bundle of lies", the Congress said it wanted to know why PM (prime minister) Narendra Modi and the BJP were trying to divert and derail the court trial in the fake encounter case dating to 2004.

The Ishrat Jahan case has been in the headlines of late, with the BJP claiming that Chidambaram as home minister had taken a U-turn as evident, according to it, in two affidavits, allegedly at the request of the Gandhis. The first affidavit had claimed Jahan to be an operative of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The second affidavit retracted this assertion. BJP minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Congress wanted the "political elimination" of Modi by using the Jahan case.

The Congress believes Modi and his party chief Amit Shah, who were at the helm in Gujarat when the encounter took place, have a lot to conceal. Therefore, the Congress is demanding to know "the real motive behind the desperation to shut down" the ongoing trial.

Congress communication chief, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on Wednesday said, "Unlike the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) - Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi never intervened or gave any suggestion to the then home minister P Chidambaram or any other person or authority in the government … including the Ishrat Jahan case."

Surjewala said the PM and the BJP president Shah needed to answer "why are they trying to bypass the judicial findings".

Surjewala asked, "Why are the government of India and the government of Gujarat not giving sanction for prosecution of officers found responsible for the fake encounter of Jahan and accomplices?"

Surjewala said, "The PM and the BJP president owe an explanation to 1,250 million Indians to tell the real motive behind the desperation to shut the ongoing trial in the Jahan case. Let truth and justice be not a casualty in this web of deceit being woven by BJP minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP spokespersons," he said.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had on Tuesday asked Chidambaram to name the "culprit" who had asked him to change the affidavit in which references to Jahan being an Lashkar-e-Taiba operative were made.

The Parliament session, which kicks off on Monday, is expected to see fireworks over the Jahan issue.