Congress defends P Chidambaram in Ishrat Jahan case

NEW DELHI: Coming out in support of former Home Minister P Chidambaram, Congress today rejected government and BJP's claims over the two affidavits in the Ishrat Jahan encounter killing case.

With the witnesses involved in cases of "right wing extremism", including Samjhauta Express blast case, changing statements, the party also accused the NIA of becoming a "tool" to carry out BJP and RSS agenda.

Congress's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters that there is "no contradiction" between the first and the second affidavit of the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case as being made out by BJP and government.

He said that the case was not decided by different courts on the basis of the affidavits but on "overwhelming evidence".

He said this when asked whether the party was defending Chidambaram in the case in the wake of its statement dismissing as a "bundle of lies" the BJP's charge that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi gave any direction to the then Home Minister in the Ishrat Jahan case.

Surjewala also sought to take the battle to the ruling party's camp, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of attempting to "derail" the judicial process in the fake encounter case and asked them to tell "the real motive behind desperation to shut down" the ongoing trial.