Amit Shah's summoning leaders over beef issue 'mere gimmick': Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress today dismissed as "mere gimmick" and "empty formality" BJP chief Amit Shah's summoning of party leaders and warning them against making controversial statements in the wake of Dadri lynching episode.

"What is the point of closing stable door after horse has bolted? For 18 months such divisive and provocative statements and actions have been recurring with monotonous regularity. So, after 18 months Amit Shah has found time to chastise MPs and ministers.

"It is obviously an empty formality. Modi has still not found time and continues to practice deafening silence. This has been a mere gimmick far from solving issues which amounts to admission of guilt," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Referring to on-going Assembly elections in Bihar, another Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said the meeting implied that BJP is "nervous" looking for excuses in view of its defeat in the polls in the state at the hands of the grand alliance of JD(U)-RJD and Congress.

"These people are not relevant there. BJP is now looking for excuses to say why they will lose Bihar. All reports coming from Bihar...that Mahagathbandhan is going to get an absolute, clear and very good majority. BJP is nervous and therefore, looking for excuses," Dikshit added.

With the BJP under fire over controversial remarks of its leaders on Dadri and beef row, Shah today cracked the whip and warned them against making such remarks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed "extreme displeasure" on the comments.

According to party sources, Shah pulled up Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma, MP Sakshi Maharaj and MLA Sangeet Som, warning them against making such comments that threaten to derail the development agenda of the Modi government.