New Delhi: Congress and Opposition BJP on Friday sparred over a sting operation on Babri Masjid demolition, which the latter termed as "Congress-sponsored" while the ruling party demanded action against those involved.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said web portal Cobrapost, which carried out the sting that claims that the demolition was pre-planned, said it was the handiwork of Congress to divert attention from the issues of price-rise, corruption and development on which BJP is contesting the election.
Questioning the timing of the operation, he sought to know why the news portal has not carried out such operations on Congress leaders or on scams such as 2G, Coalgate, on railgate or the Commonwealth Games scam.
"Even in Gujarat, they tried to do some kind of sting operation which turned out to be false. Therefore all this is false. Cobrapost is a `Congress post` supported by the B-team of the Congress party -- the AAP," he said.
Another senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who is an accused in the case, said there is no "credibility" in the sting operation as neither the High Court nor the Liberhan Commission has ever mentioned about a conspiracy.
"Don`t do something that disturbs the whole atmosphere unnecessarily at a time when elections are near. Don`t destroy the harmony which is difficult to establish once again," he said.
Party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said through this "sponsored sting operation", Congress has attempted through its "pawns to inject poison in the peaceful and amicable election atmosphere" in the country.
Congress, on the other hand, demanded action against senior BJP leaders such as L K Advani and Uma Bharti over their alleged involvement in the demolition of the religious structure in 1992.
"It is has been exposed that Barbri Masjid Ram Janambhoomi controversy is the planned conspiracy by the BJP. The structure was razed illegally strong action should be taken by the Court against L K Advani and Uma Bharti," senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said.
Commenting on the sting operation, Union Minister Kapil Sibal said, "now it has been established that the communal elements had razed the structure to garner votes".
Terming the new "revelations" on Babri Masjid demolition as "serious matter", senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan said the alleged role of Sangh Parivar in the destruction of the historical structure stands exposed.
He further claimed that a lot of very senior leaders of the entire Sangh Parivar were involved in a meticulous planning and conspiracy to demolish the Babri Masjid and the stand they are taking publicly and in court is totally to the contrary.
Dismissing the claims of the news portal, BJP leader Vinay Katiyar said the sting operation is a "Congress sponsored ploy" aimed at diverting attention and said the content of the sting is "nonsense".
