"CBI during UPA had forced me to frame Narendra Modi", says Amit Shah

 

That CBI and ED could be abused and misused is something well known to Congress, which was in power for long.

This is precisely what Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggests as in a programme with News18, Amit Shah recalled how the CBI during the UPA regime was “putting pressure” on him to “frame” Narendra Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, in an alleged fake encounter case in the western state. 

Speaking at News18 'Rising India Summit' on Wednesday, Shah recalled the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case filed against him when he was the Gujarat home minister. He was responding to a question on Opposition's charge that the Narendra Modi government is “misusing” central agencies to target them.

"I was accused in a fake encounter case. They used to tell me to take the name of Modi and I will be freed. In more than 90% of questions, they (agencies) used to ask me to name Modi and then I will be freed. But I refused and was jailed," Shah said at the event. "90 percent questions yehi hota tha...kahe ko pareshan ho rahe ho Modi ka naam le lo, aap ko chhor denge"," Shah recalled.

The Home Minister said despite this, the BJP never raised a hue and cry and never resorted to protests wearing black kurta, dhoti and pagdi. "It was Sonia Gandhi heading the Congress and Manmohan Singh was the PM. Several innocent police officers were framed," Shah said, adding,  "A Mumbai court acquitted me and said in its decision that I was framed in a fake case for political reasons, but we never resorted to protests."

Shah also spoke on Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case by a court in Surat and said the Congress leader was not the only politician who was convicted by a court and lost membership of the legislature.

"....we did not protest or wear black clothes or stop Parliament’s functioning. An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed," Shah further pointed out. Shah said instead of moving to a higher court, Rahul Gandhi has been trying to create hue and cry and blaming Modi for his fate. 

Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to a higher court to fight his case, instead of trying to blame the PM. He said the Congress was spreading misconception; conviction can't be stayed. “The sentence can be stayed if the court decides,” he said.

Shah said 17 prominent leaders, including Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalitha and Rashid Alvi, had lost their membership because of a 2013 Supreme Court order during the UPA government, which said an elected representative would lose his seat immediately after conviction. Still, no one protested wearing black clothes because it is the “law of the land”, he said.

“Listen to the full speech of Rahul Gandhi, he has not only spoken abusive words for Modi ji. He has spoken abusive words for the entire Modi community and OBC society,” Shah added.

Asked about the notice to vacate his bungalow, the home minister asked why should there be “special favour” when the Supreme Court had said to act as soon as the conviction comes into effect.

'Organiser'

Asked about Rahul's comment on Savarkar, Shah said Veer Savarkar was the only freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms in Andaman prison. “Such language for such a freedom fighter should not have been used,” he said adding that Rahul Gandhi should read his grandmother's speech on Savarkar. “His own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar,” he said.

Shah claimed the BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark in the upcoming Karnataka assembly election, and form a government with a clear majority in the state.

Ruling out any alliance in Karnataka, Shah said, “The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate.”

No foreign diplomat raised issue of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, says Jaishankar

Nirendra Dev

New Delhi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Speaking at the Rising India Summit of Network18, Dr Jaishankar said the fact of the matter is the disqualification of Congress MP was only an outcome of a law "supported" by the Congress party in the past. 

The Minister said Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as member of Lok Sabha happened as he refused to express regret about the disparaging remarks he made against an OBC community at a public meeting four years ago.

Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in a tweet on Thursday, March 30, said the Indian judiciary can never be influenced by "foreign influence".

"Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India’s internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference.  India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is Shri Narendra Modi," he tweeted.

In another development, former IPL founder Lalit Modi has threatened to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK for calling him fugitive.

 "I have decided to take Rahul Gandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself," Lalit Modi tweeted.

He also wrote - 
" I see just about every Tom dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. Why? How? And when was I to date ever convicted of same? Unlike Pappu aka Rahul Gandhi, I am now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill informed or just vendetta prone"

Lalit Modi also mentioned names of some prominent Congress leaders and those close to Rahul Gandhi family who allegedly have properties abroad. 

Ends