Former minister for sports and youth affairs and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa refused to buy the Bharatiya Janata Party line that the blasts in Karnataka and Gujarat were the handiwork of the Central government in order to divert attention from the money-for-vote issue during the vote of confidence sought by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"There was no discussion whatsoever on this issue during the meeting of the National Democratic Alliance leaders and whatever Sushma Swaraj said was a personal reaction on behalf of the party rather than what happened in the meeting," Dhindsa told rediff.com on Tuesday morning.
Swaraj, in her statement during a press conference on Monday, had alleged that she felt there was a conspiracy in the entire thing as the blasts took place in BJP-ruled states of Karnataka and Gujarat.
Her statement gave a clean chit to Inter Services Intelligence who had been named along with their Indian agent Students Islamic Movement of India and the Bangladesh-based outfit Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami for engineering the blasts.
This is the first time in recent months that a senior party leader has made this kind of statement. It is surprising that this statement came from one of the firebrand leaders of the organisation, admitted a senior BJP leader in conversation with rediff.com.
In the meanwhile, the ministry of home affairs has advised the States and Union Territories to maintain ground level vigilance, particularly in crowded areas and sensitive locations.
They have also been advised to increase ground level policing and take precautionary measures to ensure peace and harmony. Special Secretary (Internal Security) M L Kumawat has gone to Ahmedabad to assist the state administration.
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