New Delhi, August 1
The ongoing war of words between the BJP and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram intensified today with the Home Minister again making it clear that the BJP was targeting him on the 2G issue for reasons like the ongoing probe into terror cases (against right-wing elements).

The smart-with-words Home Minister went on to claim that “privately, a number of BJP leaders have told me that they don't believe in what some of their colleagues say (on allegations in the 2G issue)”.

Addressing his monthly press conference, the Home Minister said the government would reply to BJP’s charges on 2G and other issues in Parliament, but felt that the step up in its attack ran parallel to the pace of investigations in some terror cases.

Chidambaram was asked a question by a reporter about his interview to a news agency last week in which he had linked BJP's attack on him and other ministers as a direct fallout of the probe being made into terror-related cases involving right-wing groups. When told that the BJP had termed his statement as unrelated, Chidambaram said "I am not sure whether they are entirely unrelated. I think that the step-up in the attack (by the BJP against him) is running parallel to the pace of investigations."

Replying a volley of questions on the 2G scam and remarks made by the BJP, Chidambaram said there were no allegations that "I have to reply or the Prime Minister will have to reply to outside Parliament."

The Home Minister maintained that anything raised in Parliament deserves a reply and will be replied.

The Centre on Monday said it was not ruling out the possibility of the involvement of jihadi or saffron terror groups in last month's triple blasts in Mumbai and looking into all angles. Home Minister P Chidambaram said Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan informed him yesterday that the inputs received from the investigators suggested that there was progress in the probe.