BJP attacking UPA to hide its leadership crisis: Cong

New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) Rejecting with contempt the BJP's remark that there is a civil war in the UPA on the Sethusamudram ship canal issue, the Congress today said the saffron party is trying to divert people's attention from its leadership crisis.

It is ''laughable'' that there is an infighting in the BJP for the post of Prime Minister even before the elections and when it is not known whether it will win the polls, Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told reporters.

''In order to divert attention from their identity crisis, they have been making dire predictions about the imminent collapse of UPA,'' she said.

The ''blind and meaningless'' attack on the Congress was nothing more than an expression of the ''dysfunctional incoherence of the BJP, and we reject their remarks with contempt.'' The BJP was divided and confused on all issues whether it was the nuclear deal, economic reforms or even Hindutva, she said.

On the differences between the UPA allies (DMK and NCP) on Sethusamudram project, Ms Natarajan said it was for the government to take the allies on board.

Asked about US Ambassador David C Mulford's remark that the Indo-US nuclear deal should be ratified by the present US Congress, she said the UPA could only act in the interest of the nation and its people and nobody could force his views on it.

Replying to related questions, she said the differences with the Left on the issue would be resolved by the 15-member panel headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

UNI