Shimla, September 7
The Congress is in favour of a fresh probe into Tehelka case on the pattern of
Godhra carnage. Stating this at a press conference Ms Ambika Soni, general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, said here today that Phunkan Commission was already conducting an inquiry into the case and it was upto the government to decide about ordering a fresh probe. However, the Congress supported the demand for a fresh probe. However, she made it clear that her party was against witch-hunting and only wanted to get to the truth. She said the UPA Government had an important agenda in the form of the common minimum programme to implement and had little time to waste on witch-hunting.
She said the decision of the Supreme Court to reopen over 2,000 cases pertaining to Gujarat riots had vindicated the party’s stand on the issue that the Modi government was hushing up the cases.
She claimed that the priorities of the UPA outlined by Ms Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the coordination committee of the alliance, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during the recent party meet had infused a new enthusiasm among various section of people who felt reassured that their concerns would be taken care of.
On the other hand the BJP appeared to be a “frustrated lot” as evident from its senseless boycott of the proceeding s of the Parliament and the derogatory remarks made by its leaders like Mr Yashwant Sinha, a former minister, against Dr Manmohan Singh.
Referring to the party affairs in Himachal Pradesh she said any regional imbalance created due to the recent exercise to downsize the ministry would be removed in due course. She said no one in the party wanted any minister to be dropped but the exercise had to be carried out to uphold the new law of restricting the size of ministry. As such the removal of minister from the Cabinet was no reflection on their performance.
Replying to a question regarding state government’s demand for reviewing the agreement signed with the Centre during the BJP regime for the execution of the Kol Dam and Parbati Projects she said the party high command would extend all support to the state in safeguarding its economic interests.
Regarding the price rise she said the main reason for it was the abnormal increase in the prices of petroleum products. The rates of petroleum products should have been regularly revised but the previous BJP government had deferred such unpleasant decisions because of elections. She said it would take some time to clear the mess created by the BJP regime.
