Batla encounter: Chidambaram dismisses Digvijay’s ‘fake’ claim

The Home Minister said that it was the view of Digvijay Singh from the very beginning and he (Chidambaram) respected his (Singh’s) view.

“But every authority who has looked into it (the case),has agreed that it was a genuine encounter. So,while there is a difference of opinion,I think the matter rests where it stands today. I don’t think there is any scope for reopening that matter,” he said.

Digvijay Singh raked up the issue yesterday about the encounter being “fake”,after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi faced protests during his campaign visit to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh,home of those killed in the encounter.

Singh said he always believed the Batla House encounter was fake and had tried to get the government and the Home Ministry to re-investigate the matter.

“The Prime Minister and Home Minister were of the view that the encounter was true. That’s why I did not not press it further,” Singh had said in Azamgar from where a number of youth were arrested in terror cases,including the Delhi bomb blasts.

Congress has in past distanced itself from Digvijay Singh’s remarks on the Batla House encounter.

The encounter on September 19,2008,at Batla House led to the killing of Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma and two Indian Mujahideen terrorist while two other Indian Mujahideen terrorists were arrested and another fled from the scene.

Charging Cong of doublespeak,BJP asks PM,Sonia to explain

Accusing the Congress of doublespeak on the Batla House encounter,BJP today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to clarify their positions on the matter.

“If Chidambaram as Home Minister says the Batla House encounter was genuine then how did Digvijay Singh term it fake in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Azamgarh yesterday?” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad asked.

His colleague and party spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said,”Let Prime Minister come out of his silent mode and explain to the nation what are the facts of the Batla House encounter in which a brave police officer had to pay the price and he died to the bullets fired by terrorists… And,here’s a Congress leader giving moral booster to the terrorists and demoralising the police force by his antics.”

Prasad and Javdekar also asked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to also give an explanation on Digvijay Singh’s statements on the issue,as he spoke “their language”.

“Digvijay is his Majesty’s voice. You cannot remain mute spectators,” said Javdekar while questioning Sonia and Rahul.

Javdekar went a step ahead by asking the Prime Minister to not just clarify his own position with regard to the matter,but also take action against Digvijay for making such statements.

“In fact PM should take action against Digvijay,as he was trying to influence the courts. We condemn such dirty politics,” he said.

Attacking Digvijay,Javdekar said,”How much you will stoop low to gain a few votes”.