Cong gets support of Bush-hater

Desperate to woo Muslims in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh,the Congress on Thursday welcomed the support of a Muslim organisation whose president had once reportedly offered Rs 5 lakh as a bounty to anyone who beheads Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen and,by his own admission today,Rs 25 crore to anyone who beheads ex-US president George Bush.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said at a press conference here that Tauqeer Raza Khan,national president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council IMC,has agreed to support the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls and they will have electoral adjustments in the next Assembly polls in the state.

Asked whether he was the same man who had made the offer to behead Bush,Khan replied in the affirmative explaining he had offered the reward counting Re 1 as his contribution and the same amount from each of the 25 crore Muslims in the country. It came as a huge embarrassment to the Congress,especially as it comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs famous Indians love you remarks to Bush and of AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvis advocacy for Bharat Ratna for Bush.

Digvijay Singh sought to salvage the situation saying the Congress does not believe in violence8230;. We did not agree with his statement then and now.