The
home minister said, “After looking into the matter, after I took over
as home minister, we came to the conclusion that the (Batla House)
encounter was a genuine encounter.”
NEW DELHI: Home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday firmly rejected Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's claim that the Batla House encounter case was "fake", ruling out reopening the case which resulted in the killing of Indian Mujahideen commander Atif Ameen.
"After looking into the matter, after I took over as home minister, we came to the conclusion that the encounter was a genuine encounter," Chidambaram said. The home minister's forthright remark came even as BJP attacked the Congress leadership and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of indulging Digvijaya Singh's "dirty politics for the sake of votes" over the September 2008 encounter in the Capital.
"Every authority who has looked into it (the case) has agreed that it was a genuine encounter. So, while there is a difference of opinion, I think the matter rests where it stands today. I don't think there is any scope for reopening that matter," Chidambaram said when reporters asked him about Singh's statement on Wednesday that while he always held the Batla House encounter to be "fake", the PM and the home minister did not agree with him.
While Chidambaram confirmed that Singh had doubts about the encounter in which Delhi Police lost Inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma, one of its most decorated officers, he was firm in ruling out the demand for a fresh probe.
Chidambaram's assertion acquires significance because Singh's statements on Batla House have widely been seen as crafted to help the Congress attract Muslims on whose support the party's prospects for UP are supposed to be based on. Singh made his latest intervention on the Batla House encounter at Azamgarh after a group of Muslim youth heckled Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and burnt his effigy.
The two alleged operatives of IM who were killed in the encounter and others who were in the house where it took place belonged to Azamgarh.
Significantly, BJP, which has been boycotting Chidambaram in Parliament and never misses an opportunity to target him, seemed to be appreciative of the home minister in this case. "If Chidambaram as home minister says the Batla House encounter was genuine, then how did Digvijay Singh term it fake in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Azamgarh on Wednesday," BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad asked.
Prasad's colleague and fellow spokesperson Prakash Javdekar joined in the attack. "Let the prime minister come out of his silent mode and explain to the nation what are the facts of the Batla House encounter in which a brave police officer had to pay the price and he died to the bullets fired by terrorists... And, here's a Congress leader giving morale booster to the terrorists and demoralising the police force by his antics," he said.
Both Prasad and Javdekar asked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul to give an explanation on Singh's statements on the issue, as he spoke "their language". Javdekar further said, "How much you will stoop low to gain a few votes," he asked.
"Digvijay is his majesty's voice. You cannot remain mute spectators," Javdekar said while questioning Sonia and Rahul. He went a step ahead by asking the PM to not just clarify his own position with regard to the matter but take action against Singh for making such statements.
"In fact, the PM should take action against Digvijay, as he was trying to influence the courts. We condemn such dirty politics," Javdekar said.
"After looking into the matter, after I took over as home minister, we came to the conclusion that the encounter was a genuine encounter," Chidambaram said. The home minister's forthright remark came even as BJP attacked the Congress leadership and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of indulging Digvijaya Singh's "dirty politics for the sake of votes" over the September 2008 encounter in the Capital.
"Every authority who has looked into it (the case) has agreed that it was a genuine encounter. So, while there is a difference of opinion, I think the matter rests where it stands today. I don't think there is any scope for reopening that matter," Chidambaram said when reporters asked him about Singh's statement on Wednesday that while he always held the Batla House encounter to be "fake", the PM and the home minister did not agree with him.
While Chidambaram confirmed that Singh had doubts about the encounter in which Delhi Police lost Inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma, one of its most decorated officers, he was firm in ruling out the demand for a fresh probe.
Chidambaram's assertion acquires significance because Singh's statements on Batla House have widely been seen as crafted to help the Congress attract Muslims on whose support the party's prospects for UP are supposed to be based on. Singh made his latest intervention on the Batla House encounter at Azamgarh after a group of Muslim youth heckled Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and burnt his effigy.
The two alleged operatives of IM who were killed in the encounter and others who were in the house where it took place belonged to Azamgarh.
Significantly, BJP, which has been boycotting Chidambaram in Parliament and never misses an opportunity to target him, seemed to be appreciative of the home minister in this case. "If Chidambaram as home minister says the Batla House encounter was genuine, then how did Digvijay Singh term it fake in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Azamgarh on Wednesday," BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad asked.
Prasad's colleague and fellow spokesperson Prakash Javdekar joined in the attack. "Let the prime minister come out of his silent mode and explain to the nation what are the facts of the Batla House encounter in which a brave police officer had to pay the price and he died to the bullets fired by terrorists... And, here's a Congress leader giving morale booster to the terrorists and demoralising the police force by his antics," he said.
Both Prasad and Javdekar asked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul to give an explanation on Singh's statements on the issue, as he spoke "their language". Javdekar further said, "How much you will stoop low to gain a few votes," he asked.
"Digvijay is his majesty's voice. You cannot remain mute spectators," Javdekar said while questioning Sonia and Rahul. He went a step ahead by asking the PM to not just clarify his own position with regard to the matter but take action against Singh for making such statements.
"In fact, the PM should take action against Digvijay, as he was trying to influence the courts. We condemn such dirty politics," Javdekar said.
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