'Cong trying to save its leaders in anti-Sikh riots case'

The double standards of Congress in following moral benchmarks stand exposed as it allegedly tried to shield its leaders who are involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu alleged.

"Congress wanted action taken against the chief minister for the incidents in Gujarat. But Congress is not only keeping quiet over the massacre of Sikhs in 1984, it is trying to save its leaders who are involved in the anti-Sikh riots. It is well known that Congress is using the CBI to see that a thorough probe is not conducted on its leaders," Naidu told reporters.

A Delhi court had recently set aside the CBI's closure report in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case giving clean chit to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and ordering reopening of investigation into the killing of three persons.

"The director of CBI who recommended closure of the case has been appointed a governor," Naidu said.

Congress went to town when a BJP chief minister faced allegations in Karnataka but it failed to take any action when a probe has been ordered against the actions of six ministers in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

"All these things show that Congress had no respect for values, traditions and high moral standards. Congress does not follow what it preaches. BJP demands that the Congress top leadership clarify on these things," he said.

The Andhra Pradesh ministers facing allegations should quit their posts, he said.

"Indians always respected other religions. You call them communal? This is unjustified. He had earlier said 90 per cent of people are idiots. One should think twice when commenting about people of the country," Naidu said.PTI SJR GK

Talking about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's recent address at the FICCI Ladies Organisation, Naidu said Modi made an excellent speech.

Naidu welcomed today's Supreme Court judgement dismissing death row convict and Khalistani terrorist Devinderpal Singh Bhullar's plea for commutation of his death sentence.

"We welcome the judgement given by the highest court of the land. The terrorists are the killers and do not deserve any mercy whatsoever and we welcome the judgement of the Supreme Court," he said.

Asked about the reported comments of TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao that his party is not inclined to have an electoral alliance with BJP, Naidu said it is up to him if his comments are indeed correct.

"BJP has not proposed to have an alliance with any party."

Talking about the incident of a group of persons throwing a woman to death under the wheels of a lorry when she resisted their attempt to misbehave with her daughter at Tenali in Andhra Pradesh, Naidu demanded that stringent punishment be given to them.