Congress guarded reacting to Rasheed Masood's sentencing in graft case

NEW DELHI: Congress today came out with a guarded response on the sentencing of its Rajya Sabha member Rasheed Masood in a graft case, saying it does not comment on court orders but pointed to the alleged crime he had committed when he was a minister in a government backed by BJP.

"Alleged crime by Shri Rashid Masood was committed in a govt supported by BJP. By making fun of Congress in the light of the verdict, is BJP trying to hide this fact?," party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed posted on the micro blogging site Twitter hours after the judgement.

The case relates to a period when Masood was a Minister of State (Health) in VP Singh government.

Masood had between 1990-91 illegally and fraudulently, in conspiracy with the then Resident Commissioner of Tripura, Gurdial Singh, nominated his nephew (a juvenile at the time of the offence), another juvenile and Sachidanand Dwivedi to seats allocated from central pool for students of Tripura.

Party spokesperson Sandip Dikhit and Meem Afzal said Congress party does not comment on court verdicts.

Masood is a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee as well. Asked whether, his membership from the CWC will go now, Afzal said "no idea".

Dikshit said the case related to Masood was an old case lodged long time back and Congress never tried to save or prevent him from prosecution. He, at the same time, flagged the fact the judgement has been given this time by a lower court. "We respect the court judgements," he said.

Asked whether some action could follow against Masood after the judgement, he said the party has a committee to look after these things and it will take a call or the party high command will take a decision.