LK Advani's remarks on Assam violence added fuel to fire, says Digvijaya Singh

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that BJP leader LK Advani's comments on Assam violence were like adding "fuel to the fire". Singh said Advani's comments on illegal migration was "ill-timed".

He was referring to Advani's remarks at Kokrajhar that was in the grip of ethnic strife. Advani, who had visited the area on July 31, had said that he hoped that Kashmir, where a "whole population was rendered homeless", was not repeated in Kokrajhar.

Accusing Advani of abetting violence in Assam by making provocative statements at Kokrajhar when the area was in the grip of ethnic strife, the Congress leader said "these (the comments) are like adding fuel to the fire".

Singh, who was speaking on "Sarokar" programme on Rajya Sabhha television, also took strong exception to "BJP's love for Jinnah", when the opposition party's national executive member Seshadri Chari quoted late Mohammed Ali Jinnah to emphasise the seriousness of the crisis in Assam, maintaining that the latter had told his staff that "within 10 years Assam would come to Pakistan on a platter".

Singh said the Assam accord was the result of a long-standing tribal strife in the area and is not a communal issue. The issue is extremely sensitive and needs to be addressed with utmost care, a press release by the Rajya Sabha channel quoted the Congress leader as saying.

BJP, which had moved an adjournment motion on the Assam violence in Parliament last week, had blamed Congress policy and its "vote-bank politics" for the situation in Assam.

On Sunday, BJP attacked the Maharashtra government saying the authorities there have a lot to answer about the hooliganism at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. A delegation of senior BJP leaders, which met Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in Mumbai, also demanded the resignation of home minister RR Patil on moral ground.

Congress retaliated saying it was inappropriate for any party to gain political mileage out of the Mumbai violence. "Whatever has been happening in Assam is unfortunate. It is highly important not to take political mileage out of the situation and, on the contrary, work collectively to take control of it. It is important to restore peace and law there," said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi.

Two persons were killed and 14 were injured when a protest in Mumbai's Azad Maidan against Assam riots turned violent on Saturday.