Cong flays BJP for giving clean chit to Gadkari

Congress on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying the process by which the party top brass had given a clean chit to its President Nitin Gadkari was "strange" as the complainant and the judge belonged to the same side.

"This is a strange process and an incredible mechanism in which the informer, investigator and the judge is the same," party leader and I&B minister Manish Tewari told reporters.

Tewari also launched a veiled attack on Arvind Kekriwal's India Against Corruption, saying there was a similarity in the methods adopted by the BJP and "those who call themselves social activists", in responding to situations where they faced questions.

"What is remarkable is that those who call themselves social activists, if questions are raised on their methods and when the BJP is questioned, then the process of exoneration is the same. Now this similarity, is it confined to this or does it go further...you are investigative reporters, have a lot of information and experience, you should think and research on that," he said.

Tewari also said that the allegations against Gadkari were a result of a "battle within" the BJP.

"The questions that are being raised about the BJP president are a result of the party's internal fights. And these who call themselves social workers, they are just a B team of one of the BJP camps," he said.

"You will remember that around one month back we had said that when there will be allegations levelled against a top BJP leader, then it will be clear to which camp these people, who call themselves the social activists, belong," he said.

Asked about Shiv Sena's statement that during Congress rule Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab had not been punished, he said, "Not everything needs be commented on..... Neither the Congress party or the UPA government need any lessons from anyone on how to combat terror.