BJP condemns Congress statement on Gujarat

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The BJP today took serious exception to Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi's statement that there was a plot to "eliminate" the suspended police officer D G Vanzara to create a communal flare-up in Gujarat.

"This shows Congress' communal mindset and political bankruptcy," BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, and alleged in fact it was a Congress conspiracy to create violence in the country ahead of coming elections in Gujarat.

He said the BJP Parliamentary Party at its meeting, chaired by Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, condemned the statement and said it also showed how low the Congress could go to pursue its ''vote bank politics.'' Mr Malhotra said the Congress statement on Gujarat seemed to be more a conspiracy to create disturbances in the country.

The meeting also condemned Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh's decision to keep off BJP from the 150th commemoration of 1857, the first war of Independence, he said, noting that for Congress the freedom struggle began with Jawahar Lal Nehru and would end with Rahul Gandhi.

''It was the same Congress which did not hail Bhagat Singh's contribution and his stand not to seek leniency from the British regime against his death sentence but branded him as a revolutionary,'' Mr Malhotra said.

Several Congress leaders today came forward to seek pardon for Afzal, prime accused in the terrorist attack on Parliament, he added.

UNI