Cong U-turn again: remark not for Modi

Even as the Election Commission indicated that a decision on the complaint against Narendra Modi over his remarks...

Even as the Election Commission indicated that a decision on the complaint against Narendra Modi over his remarks allegedly justifying the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter would be out by Tuesday, rattled by the poll panel8217;s notice to Sonia Gandhi, the Congress did its third flip-flop in a week over her 8220;merchants of death8221; statement.

A day after the EC sent a notice to the Congress president, the party sought to deny that Sonia8217;s remark was against Modi, and said it was meant for the 8220;entire system8221;.

8220;She said it about the entire systemic failure. It is apparent that people run the system. Many people run the system and some of them are important,8221; Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said at a press briefing. Asked specifically if the remark was targeted at Modi or not, he was evasive.

8220;We will give a comprehensive clarification on all the points raised in the EC notice in the next 24 hours,8221; Ahmed added.

Earlier in the day, another AICC spokesperson, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said: 8220;The text of Sonia8217;s speech is for everybody to see. No names appear in the text.8221;

Two days ago, Singhvi had said at a press briefing that Sonia8217;s comment about merchants of death was directed at Modi and the party was not apologetic about it. 8220;We reiterate and stand by the statement made from the AICC in respect of Mr Modi,8221; he had said.

A day before Singhvi8217;s statement, however, Union Minister Kapil Sibal had said at a press conference that the Congress president had taken no names and her comment was directed at 8220;state functionaries8221;.

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Three days before that, on December 3, Singhvi had said that Sonia8217;s remark was 8220;the most apposite8221; for Modi and it was rather 8220;mild8221;. He had even termed Modi 8220;Mr Death8221;.

Asked about the flip-flop in the Congress8217;s stance, Ahmed said: 8220;What Abhishekji said and what Kapilji said were the same thing. Interpretations could be different. I am saying the same thing.8221;

Party sources, however, said that Sibal and Ahmed8217;s statements reflected the 8220;correct8221; stance of the party, and the Congress was not interested in turning the electoral campaign in Gujarat into 8220;a personality-based contest8221;.

Caught in the middle of the war for words, and trying hard to strike a balance, the EC indicated that its ruling on Modi would be out tomorrow. It also insisted that the decision to defer a ruling on the matter was unanimous and that they were having Modi8217;s reply to the notice examined by legal experts.

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The EC top brass was here on Monday to review the preparations for the first-phase polling for 87 seats on Tuesday.

The panel also clarified that the notices to Sonia and Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had got delayed as the complaint was received on December 6, with only newspaper clippings carrying speech content being received before that.