BJP accuses UPA of deriving 'encounter benefit' for UP polls

New Delhi, May 7 (UNI) The BJP today lashed out at the UPA government for politicising the encounter killings in Gujarat to derive political mileage in the final round of ongoing elections in Uttar Pradesh.

BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra also criticised the government for not allowing proceedings in the Parliament on Gujarat encounter case which is being supervised by Supreme Court. He said the party was ready to discuss the issue provided the government also agreed for a debate on all such encounters that had happened in UPA ruled states also, particularly, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi which had seen more encounter killings than Gujarat.

Mr Malhotra claimed the UPA had two yardsticks--one for Gujarat and the other for its own governments. Whenever there is a demand for a discussion on Nandigram killings, it was rejected on the ground that it was 'state issue,''he said.

Similarly, terming the UPA's demand for the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister an 'absurd' asserted that if they attempt to remove him from his seat or impose President's rule in the state it would have 'repurcussions' at the national level and not just from five crore people of Gujarat.

Why are they not asking for the resignations of Chief Ministers of various states where encounter killings had taken place? Will the Defence Minister or Home Minister be responsible for the encounter killings in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi? ''Mr Malhotra, sought to know, charging the Congress and its allies with suffering from 'Modi phobia'.

UNI