BJP, Congress cross swords over Justice Loya verdict

New Delhi: With the Supreme Court rejecting petitions seeking an independent probe into Mumbai judge B.H. Loya’s death in 2014, the BJP on Thursday alleged that the “invisible hand” behind the frivolous pleas was that of Congress president Rahul Gandhi as part of “a conspiracy to finish the political career” of the ruling party’s chief Amit Shah.

Demanding an apology from Mr Gandhi for his party’s attempt to use the judiciary for a political battle aimed at “character assassination” of Mr Shah, the BJP said that the judiciary has sent a message that it cannot be misled by allegations based on political vendetta.

Hitting back, the Congress said that the allegations against Mr Gandhi were a “malicious attempt” which showed the ruling party’s “jitteriness”. The Congress also raised questions over the apex court’s verdict saying it was a “sad letter day” in the country’s history and pitched for a fair probe into Loya’s death.

Reacting on the issue, Mr Gandhi, in a tweet, said, “Indians are deeply intelligent. Most Indians, including those in the BJP, instinctively understand the truth about Mr Amit Shah. The truth has its own way of catching up with people like him.”

Before his death in December 2014, judge Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin alleged encounter case in which Mr Shah was an accused. The BJP president was discharged later. On Thursday, the apex court said Loya died of natural causes.

Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress and its chief Mr Gandhi conspired to target the BJP president as it believes that only one family has a right to rule the country.

The senior BJP leader said that the entire issue was a conspiracy by the Congress and its chief to finish the political career of Mr Shah, as part of which wrong accusations were made and an over 100-strong delegation was taken to President Ram Nath Kovind.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh said that the judiciary has sent a message that it cannot be misled by allegations based on political vendetta and claimed that several attempts have been made to target top BJP leaders through “fake news”.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the PILs seeking a probe into Justice Loya’s death were like “political interest litigations”.

Alleging that the “invisible hand” behind these petitions was of Mr Gandhi and the Congress, Mr Patra said that the Congress chief should be “ashamed” for what he described as a conspiracy to target Mr Shah, the judiciary and the country’s democracy.

The BJP leader alleged that the pleas were filed to settle political scores as the Congress was incapable of taking on Mr Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the electoral field.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “It is a sad letter day in India’s history. The suspicious circumstances in which Loya died, was a matter of deep concern for those who have faith in the judiciary.”

“The copy of the entire judgment is not yet available. But there are still questions before those who believe in the judiciary,” he said, raising 10 questions relating to the case as he criticised the verdict. “In this background, the BJP’s attempt to make false capital out of the Supreme Court judgment must be condemned with strongest possible words,” he added.

The Congress leader stressed that his party was not among the petitioners seeking a probe into the judge’s death and recalled that the Congress had instead approached the “people’s court” and approached the President along with 14 other Opposition parties.