Cong assails SP for 'violence' on Bachchan notices

New Delhi, June 14: The Congress today lambasted the Samajwadi Party (SP) charging it with unleashing violence in Mumbai, Pune and Lucknow and attacking Income Tax offices, and said it was seeking to politicise a matter which was essentially between megastar Amitabh Bachchan and the department.

''The attempt by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Samajwadi Party leaders and workers, including Mr Amar Singh, to politicise what is essentially a private matter between one or more assessees and officials of the IT department is a dangerous trend,'' Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said.

''This will result in subverting the rule of law in the country....To cry wolf each time any government agency does its duty, to attribute motives and to subvert the course of law is purely self-interested gimmick, designed to deflect attention from the fast detriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh,'' Ms Natarajan charged.

She said the violent demonstration by the Samajwadi Party on the Amitabh Bachchan issue was born out of frustration over its non-existent vote bank, particularly since the exit of Raj Babbar from the party.

''Its ideological bankruptcy has crossed all bounds.'' The Congress spokesperson condemned the attacks as ''unwarranted and unjustified''.

''We condemn the attempt to subvert the rule of law, to disturb peace and the already deteriorating law and order situation, as a cheap political stunt and a dangerous trend.'' Ms Natarajan called upon the SP to ''stop making unwarranted accusations against the Congress and its leadership'' and dismissed all the allegations made so far.

''The Congress has nothing to do with the matter (the notices sent to Amitabh Bachchan),'' she said and asked the SP to ''behave with proper decorum''.

UNI