NAC under Sonia Gandhi supported Maoism, alleges BJP

New Delhi: Accusing the Congress of patronising and funding the Maoists, the BJP said on Monday that the now-defunct National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi during the previous UPA regime, was the body for "supporting Naxalism".

BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media that Congress mainstreamed Maoism during its tenure and suggested that the party should rename itself as "Indian National Congress (Maoist)" or the "Congress Party of Maoists".

"National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with it only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has always been doing. In this trail we have another letter written to comrade Surendra by comrade Prakash on September 25 which contained a phone number of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh," Patra said.

Besides the telephone number, there's also a reference in the letter which said "Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund for further agitations whenever such opportunity has arrived. In this regard, you can contact us through our friend's number..."

Patra claimed that the mobile number mentioned was of Rahul Gandhi's guru Digvijay Singh. "He has not yet denied that this was not his number," he said.

Referring to Digvijay Singh's remarks, which created controversies after the Batla House encounter, 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and Zakir Naik arrest warrant, Patra said the Congress has always been at the forefront of manufacturing agitations.

"We can say that confusion, conspiracy and Congress are synonymous. They have always adopted a double standard on the issue of Maoism. Manmohan Singh (former prime minister) had said that Maoism was a grave threat to internal security. But there were some who have romanticised the Maoism within the Congress and the biggest example of it was the coterie closest to then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, called the NAC," he said.

The BJP Spokesperson said that the NAC, which was the brainchild of Sonia Gandhi, "in fact was a ground for supporting Naxalism".

He claimed that A. Padma, the wife of a top Naxal leader A. Hargopal alias Ramakrishna, was made in charge of an orphanage named 'Aman Vedika' of Harsh Mander, an important member of NAC. We all know how close he was to Sonia Gandhi. She was one among the eight Maoists, who were freed to save the life of abducted Malkangiri collector in 2011.

He said Binayak Sen, who was convicted for sedition in 2010, was appointed in Planning Commission and in the steering committee on health.

Patra claimed former union minister Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavhan for the release of Mahesh Raut, a Maoist, who was arrested due to his Maoist links.

"This was mainstreaming of Maoism under Congress. Why did Congress have so much love for convicted Maoists," he said accusing Congress of compromising with national security.

"Very humbly, we would give an advise to you also. Please rename yourself. Either you call yourself Indian National Congress (Maoist) or Congress Party of Maoists because this is the way you are behaving. You should approach the election commission and ask them that you want to be called INC(M) or CPM," he said.

He also hit out at Digvijay Singh, asking Why is it that underground Maoists seem to have fusion with Congress. 

"Why Digvijay Singh appears to be speaking for Maoists. How long the Congress will continue to play with national security," he asked.