Sting vindicates our stand, Modi must quit: Cong

AICC General Secretary in charge of Gujarat BK Hari Prasad said the Congress had been consistently saying that it was “state-sponsored terrorism”. “Tehelka revelations vindicate our stand,” he said demanding an inquiry into the revelations by an independent agency.

Union Minister Kapil Sibal said the expose was further proof that “Modi and democracy are antithetical to each other”. “The issue in Gujarat is not about justice to one community or another. It is about the denial of the Right to Life. It is now for them (people) to judge whether they want a Gujarat with Modi or a Gujarat without him,” said Sibal.

The Congress spokesperson said the response of the BJP to these serious revelations was “even more shocking”. “To shrug off these heinous revelations as the work of pre-election dirty tricks of the Congress party is not just false and preposterous, but shows the callous indifference of the BJP to these shameful truths,” said Natarajan.

Congress sources conceded that the Tehelka expose might have damaged the prospects of some of the BJP MLAs who were seeking entry into the Congress. “While the Congress has no problem in having an understanding with rebel BJP leaders like Suresh Mehta and Vallabh Kathiria who have a mass base, it would be difficult for the Congress to have any tie up with BJP leaders like Gordhan Zadafia who was a minister in Modi Government during the riots,” said sources. The Congress will take a decision about the request of rebel BJP MLAs to join the Congress by October 31. The central screening committee of the Congress, headed by AK Antony, will meet here on November 5.