BJP trying to reap political benefits from land allotment row: Cong

Bhopal, Jul 1 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh's main opposition Congress today lambasted senior BJP leader for blaming late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for what it called the Ram temple fiasco.

''Mr Advani should instead tell the nation why Ram temple could not be constructed in Ayodhya during the six years of NDA rule at the Centre,'' said State Congress Spokesperson Brijmohan Srivastava, in a statement issued here.

Alleging that the BJP was in the habit of twisting facts and misleading people for narrow political gains, he said the BJP leadership was now trying to reap political benefits from land allotment issue for Amarnath pilgrims.

''The fact is that nobody has the right to raise controversies over the issue of land allotment to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board when the High Court had said that the government is liable to make temporary hutments for Amarnath pilgrims,'' he said.

Likewise, the BJP has no right to speak on the issue of hanging Parliament Attack mastermind Afzal Guru and instead tell the nation why their government was sleeping when the attack on Indian Parliament took place.

He asked why the then Union Home Minister did not own moral responsibility and resigned from the ministership when the incident occurred.

''Where was his patriotism when the then Union Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh played host to terrorists and carried them to Kandhar in Afghanistan,'' he asked.

Reminding the BJP leader that 'Ram Setu' proposal was presented in the Lok Sabha during the NDA rule, he claimed that the proposal mentioned about budget allotment for the destruction of Ram Setu.

Accusing the BJP of encashing the popularity of saints, he said the BJP's dream of taking the nation on the wrong path would never come true.

''Fifty crore youths in the country are struggling for getting jobs and making their career. The need of the hour is to help them make their future rather than promoting communalism,'' he noted.

He thanked Mr Advani for praising Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister of independent India, and said that soon the BJP leader would also appreciate other Congress leaders, the statement added.

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