Modi, BJP should speak out on Jaya appeal issue: Cong

Demanding that BJP should make clear its views on filing an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on the matter.

"Those people who are asking the state (Congress) government (in Karnataka) to appeal, I want to remind the original petitioners are BJP leaders. Why are they using Karnataka government to shoot," Ramesh told reporters here.

"They are using the shoulders of a Karnataka government to shoot; what is Modi's view on this? I would like to know. What does Arun Jaitley have to say on this?," he said.

"Of course, Subramanian Swamy is a senior member of BJP. Today two BJP leaders were present in the swearing in-- Pon Radhakrishnan and L Ganesan, what is the BJP's stand?," he asked.

The Karnataka High Court gave a clean chit to the AIADMK chief and three others, clearing them of "all charges" in the 19-year-old case on May 11.

Karnataka is the sole prosecuting agency in the case, and has the authority to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. The state government is yet to decide on the issue, even as both the Special Public Prosecutor B V Acharya and Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar have advised filing an appeal.

"Karnataka government has been brought into this case subsequently by the Supreme Court. The impression that is being given is that Karnataka government which has filed- No, we were victims of circumstances," Ramesh said.

He said primary petitioners in this case must come out very clearly and the internal contradictions in the BJP must be resolved.

"What does Modi have to say about this? Modi and Jaitley have a view on everything under the sun, but on this they are quiet, why?," he asked, reminding that AIADMK has eleven MP's in Rajya Sabha where BJP lacks majority.