BJP to Rahul: Why talk only about 2002 Gujarat riots?

Hyderabad, Mar 18: Hitting out at

over his comments on 2002 riots in Gujarat, senior

leader M Venkaiah Naidu today said the

Vice-President should talk about "2014" and issues of governance. "Rahul Gandhi talks about 2002.

What about 2014? He says you look back. Why only 2002? Let's look back from 1947. Congress, which has ruled the country from 1947, had only caused animosities among religions, castes, linguistic groups and regions. Thousands were killed in communal clashes. Congress is responsible (for them)," he told reporters here. "Congress is responsible for 1984 Sikh massacre. How many violent incidents happened in Gujarat? But they say we will only discuss 2002. This is selective amnesia," he said.

Congress is responsible for many communal riots since 1947

Noting that BJP has nothing to hide and favoured a debate on good governance, able leadership, development and stable government, the former party President alleged Congress is only trying to divert public attention as it has miserably failed to fulfil its promises.

"Why Rahul Gandhi is silent about women's reservation? Why Rahul Gandhi is silent about bringing back black money, why Rahul Gandhi is silent about controlling prices? Why is he silent about fulfilling other promises? Why is he silent about deaths of thousands of farmers. Questions can be 100s and Congress has no answer." Naidu recalled the Supreme Court-appointed SIT gave a clean chit to BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the post-Godhra riots.

Hitting out at Modi, Gandhi had, during an interview to PTI, demanded "legal accountability" for the "clear and inexcusable failure" of governance during the 2002 riots and dismissed talk of a clean chit to him as "politically expedient". Training his guns at Aam Admi Party (AAP), Naidu dubbed the Arvind Kejriwal-led party as a "B-team of Congress".

"For cheap power, only for 45 days, you have compromised on your basics. You have gone against your word. You have aligned with Congress. You now try to criticise BJP," the former Union Minister added.

PTI