Tejpal plea to hand over case to CBI may be escape route: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday dismissed former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal`s demand that the sexual assault case against him be handed over to CBI, saying he may be using this as an "escape route" as he is close to ruling Congress.

Congress, however, rejected BJP`s contention and claimed that there is no reason why this issue should be linked to politics. Party spokesperson P C Chacko drew parallels of this case with the snooping scandal allegedly involving Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Asked about Tejpal`s apprehensions that the case against him may not be probed fairly by Goa Police as BJP is in power in the state, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said, "This (plea to give case to CBI) can be an excuse. It may be an escape route to get away... Congress likes Tejpal and he likes Congress." In reply to Tejpal`s allegation that BJP has maligned him, Naidu said, "Has BJP entered his soul and made him do these things in the lift? This is atrocious. There is a limit to which you can make allegations. Next a demand will come that the inquiry should be done outside the country. Some people had gone to the UN in one case while some wrote to the US president in another." He sought to know in what way is BJP involved in the act committed by Tejpal. "Law should take its own course. The move to malign the victim is deplorable," Naidu said. Congress maintained it is not using its powers to influence the probe into Tejpal`s misconduct. "Whether it is Modi or Tejpal, both are now caught for the same reason. Congress will not defend either... This is a typical game that the BJP is playing. Why should an instance of this kind be politicised. It was Mahila Congress which had first organised an agitation at Jantar Mantar on the Tejpal case," Chacko said. BJP insisted that this case should not be compared with the snooping incident and said a "rattled, desperate" Congress is raking it up.