Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Amid claims that terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba had approached people in Muzaffarnagar for recruitment as terrorists, a war of words has broken out between the Congress and the BJP.
Reports Tuesday had claimed that two LeT operatives had approached riot victims in Muzaffarnagar.
The Delhi Police, which arrested two suspect LeT operatives, from Uttar Pradesh confirmed that two persons in Muzaffarnagar were approached by the LeT, but denied the duo was riot victims.
The Home Ministry also confirmed that two suspected LeT operatives had met two people in Muzaffarnagar, but like the Delhi Police, denied that the two residents were riot victims or had anything to do with the violence there.
It further clarified that there was no link between Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI and Muslim youth, who were victims of Muzaffarnagar riots.
The Congress and BJP, meanwhile, engaged in a verbal fight over the issue, with the ruling party asserting that its vice president Rahul Gandhi had been vindicated.
Congress said the revelation had proved right Rahul`s remarks made at a public rally in October last year that the ISI was working to lure the riot-hit.
"Pakistan`s ISI and India`s BJP rejoice whenever there is communal trouble in India. ISI wants money from Muslims countries in the name of helping Muslims here. So they earn money. Whenever there is communal disturbance, BJP gets vote," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, "Those who believe in the politics of polarisation, who believe in the politics of communalism should become cognizant of the damage which they do to the idea of India."
The BJP, on the other hand, hit back at the Congress and accused it of giving communal colour to a national security issue.
"The Home Minister for the first time in the history of India has come out with the names of victims on the basis of their religion. It clearly shows the Centre and state governments are trying to do religion-based politics," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh demanded a thorough probe into the issue.
