Congress lashes out at BJP for accusing UPA govt. of organizing recent blasts

New Delhi, July 30 : Congress Party on Wednesday came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its allegations that the serial blasts that rocked Ahmedabad and Bangalore is possibly an attempt by the Central United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to divert the attention of the nation from the cash for votes' scandal.

BJP's senior leader Sushma Swaraj on Monday accused the Congress-led Central government of a political conspiracy.

"BJP has exhibited outrageous irresponsibility and blatant opportunism in accusing the central government unbelievingly of organizing the blasts to divert attention supposedly from issues arising from the trust vote," Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesperson told reporters in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's government had to prove its majority in the parliament for the survival of the ruling coalition and a civilian nuclear deal with the United States after their communist allies withdrew support over the controversial deal.

The government's joy at its victory was tempered by a bribery scandal, after opposition lawmakers interrupted the debate to wave wads of cash they said were offered as bribes to them by the government for abstaining.

All major newspapers in the country carried reports on Tuesday of Swaraj's accusation, which said that the ruling government could be behind the terror attack that rocked Bangalore and then Ahmedabad.

India has often accused militant groups from Pakistan and Bangladesh of helping local militants to carry out a wave of bombings in recent years, with targets ranging from mosques to Hindu temples.

The Congress also criticized the BJP for not condemning the accusations.

"By not condemning such a bizarre allegation, the BJP has shown its true face and character. This act is cheap political gimmickry at its worst. But we are not surprised because it fits in with the old BJP tactic of living for the moment," added Singhvi.

Meanwhile BJP on the other hand on Wednesday blamed the Congress for adopting double standards with regard to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shutdown continued for the fifth consecutive day in Jammu over the revocation of transfer of forestland to the Hindu shrine board.

Jammu has been simmering for more than two weeks now, where protesters in the predominantly Hindu region have been staging violent protests and demanding restoration of forestland allotted to the Board by the state government for making makeshift facilities for the Amarnath pilgrims.

"We want to ask the government and the Congress that are they only concerned with the feeling of the people residing in Kashmir and not of the people of Jammu? Why is there this kind of a double standard? If any point is raised by the people of Kashmir, the government immediately takes notice and in Jammu so much is happening and people are raising their voices, then why is the government not taking any step to hear them out? We demand that the land which was to be given by the orders of the High Court to the Amarnath shrine board for two months, should be re allotted as it is the only solution to this problem," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told media in New Delhi.

On July 23 a young man in his late 20s after delivering an emotional speech at a gathering of Hindu activists announced that he would sacrifice his life for the noble cause.

He fell unconscious and was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Another person attempted suicide in Samba district on Tuesday to pressurize the state government to restore the land to the shrine.

The ongoing unrest in the state is being spearheaded by the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti and supported by about 30 Hindu organisations.

The Jammu and Kashmir government was on July 1st forced to back down on its decision to transfer 100 acres of forestland in Kashmir to the SASB, following widespread protests in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir valley.

ANI