Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi drew criticism towards the Congress on Sunday regarding the arrest of a maulvi a day earlier, allegedly involved in plotting the assassination of a Hindu leader and issuing threats to a BJP MLA, under directives from handlers in Pakistan and Nepal. He suggested that the opposition party should not serve as an "inspiration" for such individuals.
The remarks from Sanghavi stimulated a sharp response from the Congress, which accused the ruling party of attempting to deflect attention from its own shortcomings in crime control.
As per news agency PTI, Surat police apprehended Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol (27) on Saturday, accusing him of devising a plan to eliminate the head of a Hindu organisation in Surat and intimidate the chief editor of Sudarshan TV, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, and Telangana MLA Raja Singh, allegedly with collaboration from handlers based in Pakistan and Nepal.
"The maulvi was hatching a big plan to murder BJP and Hindu leaders. The chat messages and Rs 1 crore supari (for the purpose) offered by his masters sitting in Pakistan have been exposed. The way the maulvi was instigating youth and children for anti-national activities stands exposed," Sanghavi stated to a Gujarat news channel.
"I want to tell the Congress that you will get many political opportunities but it is a sin to save maulvis like him. It is a sin to inspire these types of clerics. The Congress should stop making indirect efforts in this direction," he underscored, as per PTI.
Congress Hits Back At BJP, Questions Gujarat Govt Over Law & Order
Hitting back, Supriya Shrinate, the Congress's chair of social media and digital platforms, claimed that the BJP had developed the habit of placing the blame for everything on her party. She said that the minister was attempting to cover up his own incapacity to stop crimes that were happening right in front of him by making such claims.
"For over three decades the state government has been yours. You have been in power at the Centre for a decade. It is for you to take action and find out about such criminal activities. How is it happening under your nose? Will you blame Congress for everything? You blame the Congress while saving Prajwal Revanna and Brij Bhushan," asked Shrinate, as quoted by PTI.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi stated that Sanghavi is unaware of the facts coming out of his home ministry and does not respect the dignity of his position.
"If anyone has committed an anti-national act, then there is a law to tackle it. At the same time, the minister should reply as to how Surat has emerged as the crime capital of the state? How has Gujarat become a drug hub?" Doshi also questioned.