New Delhi, January 12: Amidst controversy doing the rounds on the issue of Batla House shootout, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday termed the 2008 encounter as genuine.
Addressing the media, Chidambaram was categorical in his comment, “There is no scope for reopening the matter.
Senior Congress leader, Digvijay Singh had termed the Batla House encounter in Delhi as fake. To be noted is the fact that he made this comment in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, the place where the Muslim boys killed in the encounter hailed from
The Congress is being accused of doublespeak from certain quarters. With the Home Minister and Digvijay Singh speaking in different language the Opposition has got enough ammunition to target the Congress.
The Opposition demanded that a fresh case be registered in the case and the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit should be held accountable for the false encounter. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has accused the Congress of raking up the matter at the time of elections.
From the events that have unfolded it seems clear that the contentious encounter will always remain an election issue.
—Agencies