BJP demands PM's statement on Rahul Gandhi's WikiLeaks remarks

KOLKATA: A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks against radicalised Hindu groups hit the headlines, BJP today demanded a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the utterances by the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

BJP General Secretary Vinay Katiyar alleged Rahul Gandhi's remarks "betrayed his lack of knowledge of Indian culture."

"Hindus cannot be terrorists. They have always practised tolerance and harmony", he said.

Alleging Congress was responsible for rise of terrorism in Kashmir as also of the activities of Maoists and ULFA, Katiyar said "Rahul should know that during Rajiv Gandhi's prime ministership, there were LTTE training camps at eight places in India."

"I ask Rahul Gandhi, his mother ( Sonia Gandhi) and Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) why were 7,000 Sikhs killed in 1984? Congress is a terrorist party and has no right to be in politics. It should be banned," Katiyar told a press conference here.

A Wikileaks cable released yesterday claimed Gandhi had told US Ambassador Timothy Roemer that radical Hindu groups could pose a 'bigger threat' to India than terror group LeT.

Katiyar demanded a statement from the Prime Minister on Rahul Gandhi's remarks.

Strongly condemning the remarks by Rahul, Katiyar charged "it will give a leverage to the LeT and the ISI. It is intended to save Afzal Guru (from capital punishment) and to have Ajmal Kasab released (from jail)."