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BJP, Congress scramble to make capital of Wadhwa report

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

With the Justice D P Wadhwa Commission report having been released, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are gearing up to use its findings to their own advantage.

The one-member commission of inquiry was set up to probe the gruesome murder of Australia-born missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district of Orissa in January this year.

Staines, who worked with tribal leprosy patients, and his two sons were burnt alive while they slept in their jeep at Manoharpur.

The incident, coming as it did on the heels of a wave of attacks on Christians in different parts of the country, shocked the nation and the Opposition parties were quick off the mark, claiming it to be the handiwork of right-wing Hindu organisations.

But the commission has exonerated any organisation of involvement in the murder and pinned the blame on Dara Singh, the key accused, in his individual capacity.

It was earlier believed that Dara Singh, who is still absconding, was acting at the behest of the Bajrang Dal, a fanatical organisation. The Bajrang Dal is also often linked to the BJP, something the latter denies vehemently.

"We have always maintained that whatever Dara Singh and his associates did was on their own. No other party was involved and certainly the BJP never supported anyone," said Jai Prakash Mathur, the party's vice-president and spokesman.

Mathur insisted his party would not make the Wadhwa Commission report an election issue. "For us, there is nothing to talk about. There was a murder and the murderer must be brought to book. There is no communal issue, which some parties are trying to whip up for electoral purposes."

The Congress has deferred making any public statement on the report. Party spokesman Kapil Sibal said he would comment on the report only after he had read it completely.

But the Congress is not letting the matter pass. "Let us not forget that the Wadhwa Commission has categorically stated that Dara Singh was and is part of the Bajrang Dal. Thus, there is a clear link between Dara Singh and the Bajrang Dal, a fact that cannot be ignored," said Sibal.

"Whatever may be Dara Singh's affiliation, an individual's act cannot be blamed on an organisation. The Wadhwa Commission has clearly blamed him alone," argued Mathur.

The BJP spokesman said he saw a conspiracy to tarnish the BJP in all the acts against the Christians. "Take the Jhabua case, where four nuns were raped. Everyone blamed right-wing Hindu parties, yet now we know that the rape was a criminal act committed by four tribal men, all of whom were Christians. Similarly, there were reports that Christian tribal homes in Gujarat were being burnt down when there were only some skirmishes. Yet, these stories were blown up in the media and political parties milked them," he said.

Incidentally, the Wadhwa report has blamed the Orissa government (a Congress government) for not yet tracing Dara Singh. "The reason Dara Singh cannot be traced is because he has gone out of the state and is being protected by the central government," declared Sibal.

The BJP has dismissed the statement. "The fact is that the Congress government is not doing anything, that law and order in the state has collapsed. How come Dara Singh has not yet been traced even though the entire state police is searching for him?" retorted Mathur.

The Congress has also flayed the timing of the Wadhwa Commission report's release. "All this while, the report was ready, but the BJP government did not release it. Now, after the Lok Sabha has been dissolved, the government is releasing the report. The timing is suspect," said Sibal.

Mathur insisted there was no politics behind the decision to make the report public at this juncture. "The people have seen that the BJP is not a communal party. If the Congress makes the report an issue, it will be to their disadvantage," he said.

EARLIER REPORT:
Wadhwa report absolves Hindu organisations in Staines case

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