Clarify if Rahul shared dais with suspected Naxal: BJP to govt

“This is a serious matter. This is how the government is proceeding in its fight against Naxals. One of its ministers (Mamata Banerjee) is speaking in favour of Naxals. Now,the crown prince (Rahul Gandhi) of Congress is sharing the dais with a suspected Maoist.

“The government appears divided on the issue. It is totally unacceptable… The Home Minister should clarify the matter. He must come clean and make a statement ,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told reporters outside Parliament.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari,however,downplayed the issue,saying the import of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Niyamagiri hills yesterday was to send a larger message outside to the indigenous people of India that their concerns were not unseen and unheard in the echelons of power.

“By making this point forcefully and articulately that he is the advocate of their interests in Delhi and they can get justice in the scheme of things within the India Constitution… is a very very strong and very sensitive message to the people,who otherwise felt they did not have a place in the national mainstream,” Tewari said.

According to a media report,Gandhi shared the dais with a tribal leader,suspected to be a Naxal sympathiser.

Meanwhile,another BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said it was “surprising” that Rahul Gandhi had “shared” the dais at the tribals rally with persons who had been picked up by the Orissa police for links with Naxals.

Rudy said this showed the Congress’ stand on Naxals,pointing out that “a Minister in the UPA government supported the Naxals and now Rahul has shared dais with them”.

He asked the Congress to come clean on the issue and state its stand clearly to the nation.