Agencies
NEW DELHI, Apr 4: Branding a sting operation on Babri Masjid demolition ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as "Congress sponsored", BJP today asked the Election Commission to stop its publication and telecast.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Cobrapost, which carried out the sting that claims that the demolition was pre-planned, was "Congress-post" and used by the ruling party to divert attention from the issues of price-rise, corruption and development on which BJP is contesting the election.
Writing to the EC shortly before Cobrapost was to hold a press conference here, BJP sought a bar on its contents being made public.
"We had in the morning spoken to the EC and also written a letter that an NGO named Cobrapost is planning to show a sponsored sting on the sensitive Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid issue. Its telecast and publication be immediately barred," party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
Through this "sponsored sting operation", Congress has attempted through its "pawns" to inject poison in the peaceful and amicable election atmosphere in the country, he said.
Prasad asked why Cobrapost has never done a sting against any senior Congress leaders despite occurrence of so many scams under the UPA. "It's a 'Congress-post'. I want to ask two questions. Have the people involved with Cobrapast have ever done a sting against a big Congress leader? Did they ever do a sting in 2G and CWG scams, Coalgate, Railgate? They never did," he told reporters.
"The CBI case in the matter is under trial. Some cases are in Supreme Court. I see this as an attempt to influence pending trial," Prasad said. Cobrapost has purportedly recorded claims of a number of VHP leaders and others, who were involved in the Ram Mandir movement, in which they have said that the razing of the mosque was planned and L K Advani, who led the agitation, and then UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, were in the know.
Naqvi said the party had asked the EC to take action "against whoever is behind such a mischievous conspiracy."
"The people have rejected the secular versus communal plank on which Congress contests and real issues are being raised. Naturally those who contested on non-issues are upset," he said. |
