Confusion prevails in Cong over Antulay's remarks

New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The confusion in the
Congress party over the Antulay controversy was underlined
Saturday by surprise support for the beleaguered Minority
Affairs Minister from one of the party General Secretaries
Digvijay Singh who saw nothing objectionable in his stand
questioning the circumstances surrounding the killing of
Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare.

Singh's remarks in Varanasi at a press conference
came on a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress
President Sonia Gandhi grappled with the mess arising out of A
R Antulay that has created a political storm and the
opposition for his removal from the Cabinet.

"Antulay has been misreported. What he has asked for
is a probe which is already on. What is objectionable in his
statement," he said.

Singh said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) had
raised doubts about the integrity of Karkare because he was
investigating the Malegaon blasts in which Hindus were
arrested.

Against this backdrop, Karkare was killed in the
terrorist attack in Mumbai and it was "natural" to think that
whether he was murdered.

"But this possibility appears to be low because the
course of events minimises it. Antulay has said the matter
should be investigated that who ordered him (Karkare) to go
there. What is objectionable in that,", Singh said.

The Congress, however, had in the last two days
distanced itself from Antulay's remarks saying they were his
personal views.

The meeting of the Congress Core Group including the
Prime Minister and the party president to resolve the
situation ended without a decision and the government's
position is expected to be made clear in Parliament before it
winds up business for the session on December 23.

The hour-long meeting of the Congress Core Group at
the residence of the Prime Minister is believed to have gone
into the pros and cons of the matter but there was no official
word on whether his resignation was being accepted.

Opposition BJP and Shiv Sena having been gunning for
Antulay's removal from the Cabinet accusing him of
compromising the country's position vis a vis terrorism
emanating from Pakistani soil.

"No decision has been taken. The position will be made
clear in the session of Parliament concluding on December 23,"
said a senior leader who declined to be identified.

Two Muslim MPs from Uttar Pradesh--Ilyas Azmi of
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rasheed Masood of Samajwadi
Party--backed Antulay's demand for a probe into Karkare's and
wondered why a hue and cry has been raised over that demand.
PTI SPG
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