New Delhi:
Centre has berated the BJP for its "angry" reaction to the CBI pursuit against Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, saying it was "belated and simulated". (
Watch: Why is Amit Shah still hiding asks Congress)
Home Minister P Chidambaram pointed out that the CBI had filed the case against
Amit Shah in the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case as per the direction of Supreme Court and lawyer Arun Jaitley should have taken note of it. (
Read: Who is Amit Shah? |
Who is Sohrabuddin Sheikh)
"Why this belated and simulated anger? Why express this anger lately? They should have said this in January when Supreme Court handed over the matter to CBI," he told reporters here when asked about BJP's allegations that CBI was being misused to target opponents.
But the BJP has hit back on Chidambaram's comments. Reacting to the Home Minister's comments, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that the same Supreme Court had also ordered the hanging of Afzal Guru, yet there had been no movement in the case so far. (
Watch: Govt shamelessly misusing CBI, says Jaitley)
"Our friends in Congress keep citing about the Supreme Court, it's the same Supreme Court that has ordered hanging of Afzal Guru but besides all this, the case is still pending and the Home Minister himself said that when the turn of the case will come in order, it will happen. Today CBI has thousands of cases that are pending, so why is Gujrat given the priority? This shows that there is politics behind it," Modi said. (
Watch: Allegations against Amit Shah politically motivated: Modi)
He was speaking at the National Development Council meet in New Delhi.
Shah, Minister of State for Home in Gujarat, was chargesheeted by the CBI on Friday for his alleged involvement in the fake encounter case. He submitted his resignation later in the day. (
Read: Gujarat minister Amit Shah resigns, Modi says Shah is not guilty)
"This was a Supreme Court directive and at least (BJP leader) Arun Jaitley should have read it. He is a lawyer. He should have raised it and they should have raised it in January, why raise it now," Chidamabram asked.
Top BJP leadership yesterday refused to lunch with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accusing the government of using CBI to target Opposition. (
Watch: Congress vs BJP on PM's lunch |
Read: BJP skips PM's lunch, Congress is furious)