Dismissing Congress leader Digvijay Singh's claim that the Batla House encounter was "fake", Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the 2008 gun fight between security forces and terrorists in Delhi was indeed genuine and there was no scope for reopening the case.
"After looking into the matter, after I took over as home minister, we came to the conclusion that the encounter was a genuine encounter," he said at a press conference in New Delhi.
The home minister was responding to Singh's remarks in Azamgarh on Wednesday when he had said that he always believed that the Batla House encounter was "fake" and had tried to get government and the home ministry to investigate the matter but could not succeed.
"The prime minister and the home minister were of the view that the encounter was true. That's why I did not press it further," Singh had said.
The home minister said that it was the view of Digvijay Singh from the very beginning and he (Chidambaram) respected his (Singh's) view.
"But every authority who has looked into it (the case), has agreed that it was a genuine encounter. So, while there is a difference of opinion, I think the matter rests where it stands today. I don't think there is any scope for reopening that matter," he said.
The encounter on September 19, 2008, at Batla House led to the killing of Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma and two Indian Mujahideen terrorist while two other IM terrorists were arrested and another fled from the scene.
Meanwhile, accusing the Congress of double-speak on the Batla House encounter, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to clarify their positions on the matter.
"If Chidambaram as Home Minister says the Batla House encounter was genuine then how did Digvijay Singh term it fake in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Azamgarh yesterday?" BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad asked.
His colleague and party spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said, "Let the prime minister come out of his silent mode and explain to the nation what are the facts of the Batla House encounter in which a brave police officer had to pay the price and he died to the bullets fired by terrorists... And, here's a Congress leader giving moral booster to the terrorists and demoralising the police force by his antics."
Prasad and Javdekar also asked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to also give an explanation on Digvijay Singh's statements on the issue, as he spoke "their language".
"Digvijay is his Majesty's voice. You cannot remain mute spectators," said Javdekar while questioning Sonia and Rahul. Javdekar went a step ahead by asking the PM to not just clarify his own position with regard to the matter, but also take action against Digvijay for making such statements.
"In fact PM should take action against Digvijay, as he was trying to influence the courts. We condemn such dirty politics," he said.
Attacking Digvijay, Javdekar said, "How much you will stoop low to gain a few votes".