BJP asks MPs to attack Rahul over Judge Loya verdict

A letter issued by BJP Parliamentary party on Thursday also provided written material for all the party MPs asking them to run campaign against Gandhi and the Congress for defaming party President Amit Shah in their respective constituencies.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Photo: File

New Delhi: The day the Supreme Court dismissing petitions seeking an SIT probe into the death of Judge B.H. Loya, the BJP asked its MPs to attack Congress President Rahul Gandhi demanding his apology by holding press conferences and on social media platforms. A letter issued by BJP Parliamentary party on Thursday also provided written material for all the party MPs asking them to run campaign against Gandhi and the Congress for defaming party President Amit Shah in their respective constituencies. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Thursday dismissed the PIL seeking the SIT probe into the death of Judge Loya in 2014 in Maharashtra's Nagpur. Loya was heading the trial court that was holding a trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake shootout case in which Amit Shah is an accused.

"Every MP should give byte to local TV channels, issue a press statement and hold press conference asking Rahul Gandhi to apologize for defaming Amit Shah," the letter issued with a sign of BJP's parliamentary secretary Balasubrahmanyam Kamarsu read. The party also asked the MPs to use all the social media platforms, including Twitter and WhatsApp or SMS, to campaign over the issue. "Retweet the tweets by central BJP leaders and use local languages," the letter read. Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala posted the letter on his twitter account, saying the effort was to stop an enquiry into the case. "Lameduck efforts by a vile BJP to stop an enquiry into Judge Loya death reaches its zenith as copycats are regimented to toe the fascist line!," Surjewala said in a tweet. He said: "So much for democratic functioning where power to think, speak and tweet is held captive by self anointed shenanigans of free speech!!!" A political slugfest erupted on Thursday after the court's verdict with the BJP accusing Rahul Gandhi as the "invisible hand" behind the pleas for "character assassination" of Amit Shah. Gandhi had attacked Shah, saying truth has its own way of catching up with people like him.