Rahul Gandhi vindicated? LeT recruiting: Cops

New Delhi: In the wake of reports suggesting Lashkar-e-Tay­yaba terrorists had tried to recruit Muzaffarnagar riot victims, BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Tuesday demanded that the government explain the facts even as the Congress said its vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s assertions that Pakistan’s ISI was working to lure the riot-hit had been vindicated.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said the report lent credence to Mr Gandhi’s remarks made at an election rally in October last, which had invited flak from BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi who said Mr Gandhi should apologise for making such remarks against Muslim youth.

Two Haryana clerics arrested last month for their suspected Lashkar links and another Las­hkar operative had allegedly visited Muzaff­arnagar relief camps and sought to recruit men into their module.

Targeting the BJP, Union minister Manish Tewari said, “Those who believe in the politics of polarization...the politics of communalism should become cognisant of the damage they do to the idea of India.”

Cong, BJP trade barbs

Amid reports that suspected  Las­hkar-e-Taiba terrorists had approached Mu­z­­a­ffarnagar riot  victims to recruit men to their module, Congress on Tues­d­ay said it  has proved right Rahul Gandhi's assertions that Paki­stan’s ISI  was working to lure the riot-hit while BJP asked the  government to explain facts of the “LeT operation”.  

Congress leader Digvijay Singh said the report  has lent credence to Gandhi's remarks on riot victims at an  election rally in October last, which had invited flak from  opposition parties.   “If this information is correct that some people from LeT  had gone to relief camps to lure refugees, then it proves  right what Gandhi had said,” Singh said.

According to a media report, two Haryana clerics arrested  last month for their suspected links to Lashkar-e-Toiba, and  another LeT operative, had allegedly visited Muzaffarnagar  relief camps and sought to recruit men to their module.   Targeting BJP, Union 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”.  

However, BJP demanded that the home minister explain the  “facts”, terming the present situation as “unacceptable”,   “This shows how well-entrenched the network of LeT and  other such outfits supported and funded by Pakistan are in  UP...What action they have taken on their own. It is a  national issue. Nobody is nabbed, no­body is traced. This is  unacceptable,” party spoke­sp­e­r­son Prakash Javadekar said.  

Now the UP government and the Centre must answer, he  said, adding the BJP had sought to know from the Centre as to  what action it had taken on its own after Gandhi had spoken  about it.  
SP leader Naresh Aga­rwal said Muzaf­farna­gar had become a  “political pawn” for many parties  but added that he was not  aware of the facts of the case.   Delhi Police should do what it should but let there be no  politics over it, he said.   

Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said such attempts by  terror outfits was not a new thing.   “Pakistan's ISI and India's bhajpayees (BJP) rejoice  whenever there is communal trouble in India,” he said.

ISI wants money  from Muslims countries in the name of helping Muslims of  India. So they earn money. Whenever there is communal  disturbance, BJP gets vote," he charged.   Both ISI and BJP are on the same page as far as creating  communal trouble in this country is concerned, he alleged.   Though Rahul Gandhi's remark on Muzaffarnagar riot  victims was criticised, it was a true statement, he said.   BJP President Rajnath Singh said the whole issue should  be thoroughly probed with all the seriousness the matter  deserves.