Giriraj Singh targets Sonia Gandhi over Batla House encounter, Ayodhya firing

New Delhi: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress veteran leader Sonia Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing them of practising vote-bank politics and selectively expressing concern over incidents involving religious communities.

Speaking to IANS, Singh alleged that Sonia Gandhi had expressed grief over the Babri Masjid issue and the Batla House encounter but had remained silent when devotees of Lord Ram were allegedly shot dead.

"Yes, Sonia Gandhi shed tears over the Babri Masjid issue and the Batla House encounter. But when Ram devotees were shot dead, Sonia Gandhi did not shed any tears. Sonia Gandhi sheds tears and even travels to Azamgarh. Her son, meanwhile, visits JNU and addresses terrorists respectfully as 'ji'. Slogans such as ‘Afzal, your killers are alive, and we are ashamed’ are also raised there. Sonia ji, you can do anything for the sake of votes," he alleged.

The Union Minister also targeted Akhilesh Yadav over his political positions on religious issues and challenged him to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"Ak­hilesh Yadav should visit the Ram Temple; he will attain wisdom. But even if he comes crawling on his stomach from his village, Lord Ram will never forgive him because his DNA is stained with the blood of Ram devotees. Bullets were fired at Ram devotees," he said.

He also referred to the proposed Krishna temple in Mathura, saying Akhilesh Yadav was welcome to visit the city and should announce a date for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the temple.

“If Akhilesh Yadav wants to visit Mathura, let him come. Set a date for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Lord Krishna's temple in Mathura, and we will accompany him,” Singh said.

He further accused the Samajwadi Party chief of visiting mosques wearing a skullcap and attempting to appease senior party leader Azam Khan.

Singh also questioned Yadav's response to a recent attack in Ghaziabad, alleging that he had not raised his voice against the incident because a Muslim organisation had claimed responsibility for it.

He claimed that no Muslim leader, either at the national or Uttar Pradesh level, had condemned the incident. Singh also criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for allegedly not speaking out against the attack.

In Ghaziabad’s Vasundhara police outpost, an explosion took place on the night of 6 November, triggering panic in the surrounding locality. The intensity of the blast was such that it shattered the windows and damaged the air conditioning units installed at the police outpost, officials said.

No police personnel were present inside the outpost when the incident took place, according to the officials.

However, a 20-year-old food delivery worker sustained injuries in the explosion. He was later admitted to a private hospital in Delhi's Surya Nagar for treatment, police said.

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