Terror boat politics: Congress has touched all new low, says BJP

Coming down heavily on Congress for asking the government to come clean on the Pakistani boat incident, Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday accused the principal opposition party of touching a “new low” and doing politics over terror.

Congress had on Saturday asked the government to “come clean” on the Pakistani boat issue and explain “which terrorist organisation” was behind the episode that unfolded on the high seas.

In a counter-attack on Congress, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “A new low in Indian politics has been touched and none other than Congress is responsible for this new low. Congress has touched an abysmal low as far as politics is concerned.”

He said India celebrated a “happy” new year because the Coast Guard and the intelligence agencies of India could successfully abort a “probable” terrorist attack.

Referring to the central government's press statement lauding the role of the Coast Guard and the intelligence agencies, the BJP leader said, “But ironically instead of standing with the Indian government and taking the opportunity of thanking all those who protected us from a probable terrorist attack, Congress choose to be sympathetic towards the probable perpetrators.”

Patra said there is no difference between the voices of spokespersons of Pakistan and Congress.

“Today the voice of Congress, the principal opposition party of India, is lending credence to the Pakistani stand. One cannot differentiate between the voices of the Congress spokespersons and the Pakistani spokespersons,” he said.

Patra maintained that by doing so, Congress has yet again supplied ammunition to Pakistan. “When the tragic 26/11 attack took place, Congress spoke out of turn and pointed fingers towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. When the Batla House incident took place, Soniaji shed tears on the death of the terrorists and the former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had said so.”

He said, “None other than (then) Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, in the presence of Congress president and Rahul Gandhi, had spoken about saffron terror. Is this the way of raising doubt over matters concerning national security? Weren’t there more mature ways for calling for the details? Don’t they have faith in the Indian intelligence, Indian Coast Guard and the Indian government?” he asked.

Patra said, “Did Congress just wanted to gain some cheap publicity out of a serious issue or is there more to read? The country wants to know.”

Image: An aerial view of the fishing boat carrying explosives before being intercepted by Indian Coast Guard approximately 365 km off Porbander in Gujarat. Photograph: PTI photo