Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh coming out of a temple at Ujjain. PTI
Ujjain (MP): Continuing his tirade against RSS, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday alleged that it was "making bomb factories" and demanded that role of all kinds of terror groups, including Hindu outfits, should be probed in connection with the Mumbai serial blasts.
"I have been saying that RSS was spreading terrorism in the country and it has been making bomb factories," Singh told reporters.
When asked about his statement on Saturday not ruling out involvement of RSS in the Mumbai blasts, he said, "I only said that role of all kinds of terrorist organisations, including Hindu terror outfits, should be probed."
The Congress general secretary had courted controversy on Saturday when he said that he does not rule out the involvement of Sangh in Mumbai serial blasts, evoking criticism and condemnation from BJP.
"I do not rule out anything. If they want evidence about Sangh's involvement in terror activity, I have got evidence. But not in this case," Singh had told the media.
Reacting sharply to the Congress leader's comments, the BJP termed them as "disgusting and objectionable" and sought an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for what Singh had said.
To a question about his interest in Madhya Pradesh politics and whether he will contest an election from here, Singh on Sunday said that since he had taken an oath of not contesting polls, he would stick to it and focus on party work.
On Uma Bharti, who recently joined the BJP, being given the charge of U.P., he said that he has no contest with her.
"She has not been assigned any charge in Uttar Pradesh and has been asked by her party to work only as a campaigner," Singh, who AICC in charge of U.P., claimed.
Meanwhile, protesting against Singh's remark, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists demonstrated with black flags at Doodhtalai, Pipli Naka and Hospital Road.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh wants a probe into the “role of all kinds of terror groups, including Hindu outfits" in connection with the Mumbai serial blasts. PTI File photo
They also ransacked a hotel in Doodhtalai area which was supposed to be inaugurated by Singh.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's reported remark that the involvement of Hindu outfits in Mumbai blasts could not be ruled out, seeking apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the same.
"The BJP strongly condemns the disgusting statements of Digvijaya Singh and seeks an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi," the party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here.
"While the threat of terrorism is looming large over the nation and the people need to be balmed after being hurt by the shock, Digvijaya Singh is playing politics over terror and dead bodies," the BJP spokesperson said.
He also charged the Congress leader of trying to divert the course of investigations by making such statements.
"When the home minister and the investigating agencies are still investigating, and are not in a position to tell anything about the perpetrators, which sources does Digvijaya Singh have to make such statements?," the BJP leader questioned. "Is he above the intelligence agencies and the home minister that he is giving such statements?" The BJP also charged the Congress general secretary of trying to play diversionary politics, even on a sensitive issue like terrorism.
Meanwhile, the Congress chose to be cautious on Singh's statement.
"It is the job of the investigating agencies to decide whom to include and whom to exclude in the probe," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.
Ahmed also downplayed the controversy arising out of Maharashtra chief minister's statement that the Nationalist Congress Party, (NCP) Congress ally in the state, should not have been given the home portfolio.
The chief minister had clarified he was quoted out of context. There was "no misunderstanding" on the issue, he said.
The Congress spokesman also took a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for saying had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been alive, innocent people would not have lost their lives in terrorist activities.
"If Sardar Patel had been alive, there would not have been the leadership of L K Advani and Modi, nor there would have been communal terrorism", he remarked.
Source: PTI
