The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for siding with the activists who were held by the police on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that it was a matter of concern that Rahul Gandhi considered Naxals as human rights activists.
“It is a matter of concern that Rahul Gandhi ji considers Naxals as human rights activists. How can those who kill others be human rights activists? This is an issue of concern,” said the BJP spokesperson.
Targeting the Congress party for backing the activists, Sambit Patra said that the grand old party had reduced itself into a “fringe outfit”. “In the course of opposing Narendra Modi ji, Rahul Gandhi has now started protecting terrorists and Naxals,” said the BJP leader.
LIVE :Dr. @sambitswaraj addresses a press conference at BJP HQ. https://t.co/WWPbyixFU6
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Patra further said that former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh also considered some of the arrested activists as "threat to the country".
This comes a day after the Congress chief attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government over the police action against activists, referring to the ruling party’s slogan of “new India”.
Attacking the government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Gandhi scion had tweeted, “There is only place for one NGO in India and it's called the RSS. Shut down all other NGOs. Jail all activists and shoot those that complain. Welcome to the new India. #BhimaKoregaon.”
Several other opposition parties, such as the CPM, had attacked the government. The Left party had alleged that the police had been targeting Dalit rights activists and intellectuals since the Bhima Koregaon violence.
The war of words between the political parties comes even as the Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the activists could be kept only under house arrest till the next hearing on September 6. Hearing the case, the top court observed that “dissent is the safety valve of democracy. If dissent is not allowed then the pressure cooker may burst”.
