New Delhi, July 17: Attacking Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for his comment that giving the home protfolio to NCP was a mistake, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said Congress should not try to find “scapegoats” for the Mumbai blasts.
He also asked the Centre to “radically” alter its policy on dealing with terror warning that such incidents will recur if this was not done.
Referring to Chavan's comment on NCP holding the home portfolio, Advani said in his latest blog, “Let not the Congress party try to find scapegoats for the latest Mumbai outrage.
“The common man must be feeling amazed to read the Maharashtra Chief Minister blaming the blasts on the NCP just because the Home portfolio in the state is with the party,” he said.
The chief minister had in controversial comments said Congress agreeing to give the key Home portfolio to NCP was a mistake.
“I think it was a mistake. We should have re-looked at it. I don't know of any other coalition government where the portfolios of Home, Finance and Planning are not with the Chief Minister,” Chavan had said, evoking an angry response from the Congress ally.
Advani said Union Home Minister P Chidambaram himself has absolved R R Patil (Maharashtra Home Minister) of blame when he asserted that there had been no intelligence failure, which meant that the local police establishment was not at fault.
Seeking a change in the government's policy on dealing with terror, Advani said, “So far as the Mumbai killings are concerned, you can blame neither the Chief Minister nor the Home Minister of the state. It is New Delhi that is squarely responsible,” Advani said.
“Both the Prime Minister and the Congress president must realise that unless the Government of India's terror policy changes radically, such incidents will continue to recur,” he said.
On the 2G scam, he said though the Minister (A Raja) of the alliance partner was removed and later jailed, “the DMK is being fondly protected by New Delhi on the plea of coalition dharma.” PTI
