Congress must apologise for fake Hindu terror theory, says Jaitley on Samjhauta verdict

NEW DELHI:  Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that the Congress should apologise to the society for propagating 'Hindu terror' theory which has been categorically discarded by the Panchkula court.

Addressing a media briefing here on Friday, Jaitley attacked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which was led by the Congress, for its stand on Samjhauta blast case.

"Last week the Panchkula court gave the decision on the Samjhauta blast case of 2007. Since 2007, it was very clear that the state department of the United States would repeatedly provide us with information about the actual terrorists who were involved in that act. But apart from investigating on those lines, there was a theory of Hindu Terror and this slogan of Hindu Terrorism was given by Congress for a vote bank. They created this theory on fake evidence," Jaitley said.

Taking a swipe at Congress leaders visiting temples, Jaitley said: "People who believed Hindus as terrorists are today busy showing their respect towards religion. People can never tolerate calling a whole section terrorist."

He read out a few excerpts of the Panchkula court's decision and emphasised that the judge has said that this is a case of no evidence.

"Yet for the



first time in history, the whole Hindu society has been defamed by creating this theory of Hindu terror. Congress and UPA are responsible for this. Society will not forgive them for this. Innocent people lost their lives but real culprits were not probed," he added.

Accusing the Congress of defaming the Hindu society for electoral benefits, he said: "It is our accusation that for the political benefit the Hindu society was defamed through a fake theory. This is why Congress is not even giving a statement on this decision. It is time for them to seek forgiveness from the society."

On Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's visit to Ayodhya, he said: "It is good they are going but should also accept that this is the real birthplace of Ram."

On March 20, a special NIA court in Panchkula had acquitted the four suspects - Swami Aseemanand, Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Chaudhary - in the Samjhauta blast case.

On February 18, 2007, explosions hit the India-Pakistan trans-border Samjhauta Express in Panipat area of Haryana and 68 people died in the blast, including 44 Pakistanis.

Out of the deceased, 33 were men, 19 women and 16 children. Later, two unexploded bombs were also found from the site, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) had said.