New Delhi: A political slugfest has broken out over Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar statements about the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, one of the alleged masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that led to the deaths of 166 innocents, from the US on Thursday.
Kumar, who is touring Bihar as part of the Congress’ ‘Palayan Roko, Naukri Do’ Padyatra, remarked that Rana’s extradition is being used by the BJP as a distraction tactic to shift focus from the Centre’s unfulfilled promises.
“Since the BJP has no achievement worth the name, it tries to divert public issues under one pretext or the other. The Waqf Bill was just another such example. The government claimed it was bringing the legislation for the benefit of poor Muslims. Who will believe this, coming from a dispensation that does not let members of the community offer ’namaz’ on their own rooftops?” Kumar said.
He went on to say how the Centre had promised people that they would be able to purchase land in Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370. “Show me one person from Bihar who has been able to purchase a plot in Kashmir,” he said.
When asked about Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement that Rana’s extradition is a major diplomatic success of the Narendra Modi government, Kumar mocked: “…. Whose return? …… Oh, I thought the promised Rs 15 lakh has started getting deposited into bank accounts ….. Does this man have any shame ……… He made his son the BCCI secretary and then the ICC chairman …… the NDA has no achievement …… Has it been able to bring down prices of essentials? This is all an attempt to shift focus from main issues,” he said.
The BJP was quick to latch on to the issue and call the Congress anti-national. “So, the Congress supports people like Tahawwur Rana? Then, one can hold the party responsible for the deaths of innocents in the 26/11 Mumbai attack. No wonder, the Congress – that was in power then – took no action against Pakistan,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said.
Kumar was himself charged with sedition during his JNU days, for allegedly shouting slogans like ‘Desh ke tukde honge hazaar’ and ‘Afzal Guru (convicted and hanged for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack), hum sharminda hain, tere katil zinda hain.’ Kumar later shifted from Left politics to the Congress. He is still called the Congress’ ‘Tukde-Tukde Gang’ Mascot.
Rana, meanwhile, was produced before a special court and remanded to 18 days of NIA custody.
