Ishrat case: Jaitley accuses Cong of compromising national security

New York, Apr 20: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today launched a sharp attack on Congress over the Ishrat Jahan case, accusing it of "seriously compromising" national security for "overt political reasons".

Jaitley, who is here on a seven-day official tour, however did not say if a fresh probe may be ordered in the case but remarked that he was "not in touch with what is happening at home."

"National security was very seriously compromised and all evidence now seem to be suggesting that this was done for overt political reasons," he told ET Now.

His comments were on the fresh controversy over reports suggesting former home minister P Chidambaram had cleared an affidavit in 2009 which described college student Ishrat Jahan as a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist involved in a plot to assassinate then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

"All I can tell you about the case is its absolutely unconscionable that a government at a particular period of time should have investigated India's premier intelligence agency in a case where a terrorist group was (killed) in encounter," Jaitley said.

Asked if a fresh probe may be ordered in the case, he said, "I am not in touch with what is happening at home."

Chidambaram, in his response, has accused BJP of ignoring the "real" issue of "fake" encounter in which Ishrat was killed.

He did not comment on the report but said a second affidavit was filed in the case after thorough consultation with the then Home Secretary and Attorney General. The second affidavit showed that Ishrat was not a terrorist.

PTI