Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Union Law Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s remarks that Sonia Gandhi had cried on seeing photographs of the Batla House encounter, have infuriated not just the opposition but the party itself.
Sources said the party leadership is miffed with Khurshid for dragging the party chief into an unnecessary controversy.
At an election meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh on Thursday, Khurshid said, "I was not a minister at that time but still took the issue of the Batla encounter to Sonia Gandhi and she had tears in her eyes." The minister also said she had asked him not to show her the pictures.
While Khurshid raised the controversial encounter during the election meeting in an apparent bid to woo Muslim voters, he yesterday backtracked after widespread backlash asserting he did not say that Sonia cried and he had only stated that she became "emotional".
"You have twisted my words out of context. I didn't say she (Sonia Gandhi) cried, I said she became emotional. She said the matter should be probed," Khurshid told reporters.
According to sources, the Congress believes the encounter issue should not have been raked up when the polls are underway in Uttar Pradesh as it could lead to negative reactions from the voter.
So far, the Congress has openly endorsed the government’s view on the encounter, saying it was “absolutely genuine” and that there was no need for a judicial inquiry.
Significantly, Khurshid made the controversial remarks on a day when the Election Commission censured him for violating the model code of conduct by announcing a 9% sub-quota for Muslims.
First Published: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:06