BJP attack linked to terror probe: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Home Minister P. Chidambaram Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attack on him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was linked to the pace of probe into some terror cases.

"Their (BJP) step-up in attack is running parallel to pace of investigations in some terror cases," Chidambaram told reporters here, giving the monthly status report on his ministry.

But unlike in the past, he didn't specify which terror attacks he was talking about.

Last week, Chidambaram was quoted by some newspapers that the reason behind the BJP's campaign against him and Manmohan Singh was that "they (BJP) think this government is seriously pursuing the bomb blast cases where right-wing fundamentalists are involved".

At Monday's news conference, the home minister said some BJP leaders had told him in private that they don't believe he as the finance minister in 2007 had anything to do with the 2G scam.

"All I can say is that there must have been some reason to target the PM and me... They know and some BJP leaders told me that they don't believe what they are saying," Chidambaram said.

He said the BJP's charges against the government raised in parliament would be replied there.

The opposition party has been gunning for Chidambaram, demanding he should depose as a witness before a court in the 2G scam after jailed former communication minister A. Raja dragged him and the prime minister into the scandal.

India's main anti-terror probe agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has documented nine cases involving Hindu extremist groups allegedly making bombs and killing people.

These include the bombings at Malegaon in Maharashtra (September 2006), Mecca Masjid in Andhra Pradesh (May 2007) and Ajmer Sharief in Rajasthan (October 2007).

Earlier this year, Chidambaram gave a go-ahead to the NIA to probe these cases.
 

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