Stung by senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s allegation on Monday that the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad were a “conspiracy” to divert attention from the cash-for-votes scandal, the Congress on Monday launched a scathing counter-attack, pointing out the “uncanny timing” of such attacks, which always came when the BJP was “in a bind”. “It is a fact that after every such incident, it’s always the BJP, which seeks to take political advantage,” said AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh. “The timing is uncanny. Whenever the BJP is in a bind, these things take place,” added the senior Congress leader.Elaborating on it, he said there were bomb blasts in Hubli on the day of the first phase of polling for the Karnataka Assembly elections last May. Two days before the second phase of polling in Karnataka, there were blasts in Jaipur. “Then immediately after the trust vote, there were blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. I am not alleging anything. I don’t want to politicise the issue,” said Singh. In the pre-1990 era, except for Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the Northeast, there weren’t any incidents of bomb blasts in any other part of the country. “After Advani’s rath yatra and ensuing carnage, these things have started. If anyone has to be blamed, it is the BJP’s divisive policies, its communal politics,” said Singh.The Congress, meanwhile, saw setting up of a federal investigative agency as the only solution to terrorism problem. AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “The Government had already suggested this at the chief ministers’ meeting, but no consensus could be arrived at. We again appeal to all political parties to review their stance in this context.” Denying the Opposition’s charges about the Centre being soft on terror, the spokesman said that the Congress had the “most impeccable record” in fighting terrorism.
