New Delhi : Training all guns at former home minister P. Chidambaram over his comments that the affidavit controversy in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case was only an attempt to divert attention from the real issue, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the issue is very serious and the opposition leader should not make such frivolous comments.
“If somebody creates a situation, which amounts to compromising national security, it is an issue which cannot be diverted. The matter is too serious, and I think the former home minister should not make such statements.” Rijiju told ANI.
Toeing a similar line, Baharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nalin Kohli said the Congress party, particularly Chidambaram, is in an embarrassing position with regard to the Ishrat Jahan affidavits issue, as they have been changing their stance in this regard.
“The facts need to be revisited. She was a terrorist, which is clear from the fact that LeT operative David Colmen Headly has acknowledged that she was an Let operative,” said Kohli.
“Initially, Chidambaram said he was not involved in the first affidavit, later he recalled it. Then, he went on saying that there were editorial changes, and he was not an editor of a newspaper or a magazine; he was an honourable home minister of India and as the home minister, he is under the oath to protect the country, secure the country so why were these changes made,” he sought to know.
Kohli further accused the Congress of hiding facts, adding that Congress divulged noting till the time former home secretary G.K. Pillai made a statement. “Now that it has became clear that the two affidavits were changed by Chidambaram, he is pointing towards the fake encounter to divert attention,” he added.
“So, let’s understand the very fact that the first affidavit changed Ishrat Jahan’s status from a terrorist to a non-terrorist, because perhaps it wanted to project the encounter as fake. The SP Tamang report seems like a cover up. In any case is the Home Ministry so desired the Home Minister could have had a report the way he wanted,” Kohli said.
Earlier in the day, Chidambaram alleged that the affidavit controversy related to the Ishrat Jahan encounter case was only an attempt to divert attention from the real issue.
“Real issue is whether there was fake a encounter & whether FOUR people already in custody were KILLED in that FAKE ENCOUNTER. Coming to the affidavits, the Home Minister does not sign affidavits. It is signed by an Under Secretary,” he said in a series of tweets.
“Although I have no recollection of seeing the first affidavit, let us presume that I did. Then came the report of Magistrate SP Tamang. This report caused uproar and there was demand mainly from Gujarat that Government of India should clarify or dispel misinterpretation being placed on the first affidavit. This is why a Second, short affidavit was filed!” he added. (ANI)