BJP politicising Dara Singh fake encounter case: Congress

JAIPUR: Congress today accused BJP of politicising the Dara Singh fake encounter case to increase its vote banks.

"After the arrest of Rajendra Rathore, BJP is playing pressure-politics. If the party cares for feeling of people, it should suspend him from the party," Rajasthan PCC president Chandrabhan said.

"BJP is making attempts to malign the image of Congress. They wanted to put pressure on CBI by organising protests and demonstration...BJP is misleading people to gain political mileage," he said.

Rathore was arrested today for his alleged involvement in the fake encounter case of local liquor smuggler Dara Singh in 2006.

56-year-old Rathore, a five time MLA, was arrested by the CBI amid slogan-shouting by his supporters who had assembled at the agency's local office here.

The BJP came out in defence of its Rathore, accusing the Congress of playing caste politics and misusing the CBI.

The party, which announced state-wide protests and demonstrations on April 7, said it will apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the facts.

"Much to our shock, the Congress has once again misused the CBI. People belonging to one particular caste are being targeted. When the FIR was lodged in 2006, Rathore's name was not there in the charge sheet. It was subsequently added," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in Delhi.

She alleged that the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan is unable to govern the state and is now resorting to misuse of CBI in this case.