Union Minister Smriti Irani has launched an attack on the Congress party over the Sohrabuddin Encounter case. She has called it a clear instance of ‘political conspiracy’ by the Congress party.

Union Minister & BJP leader Smriti Irani: Congress misused the CBI in 2010 to frame BJP Pres Amit Shah. There’s clear proof of political conspiracy by Congress against him. We want to highlight to the nation that Congress will not spare anyone who comes in their pursuit of power. pic.twitter.com/v2tW8DnzlG — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019

Irani also mentioned the observations the Court had made while granting Amit Shah bail in October 2010. Quoting the Court, she said, “Suggesting involvement of the accused is not made out for the purpose of deciding the complicity of the accused in light of character of evidence.” She said that the Court had observed that there was no evidence against Amit Shah and yet the Congress continued to attack him over it. She stated the Special Court of the CBI had confirmed the words of the Judge who had granted bail to Amit Shah in 2010.

Smriti Irani further said, “This is an example of how Congress party pursues political opponents. Create evidence, ensure that a person is arrested for no other purpose just so that they want that person behind bars.” She added, “This was not alone the challenge faced by Amit Bhai Shah. It was a struggle endured by his family and this is what we want to highlight to the nation. That the Congress party will spare nobody that comes in their pursuit of power.” She also said that the Congress party does not want the power to serve people but to serve a single family.

Answering a question, Irani also said that it was perhaps the first time that a terrorist was being supported openly by the Congress party and an elected office bearer in a government was put in jail through a political conspiracy.

- Advertisement -

Smriti Irani’s statement comes after the CBI Court had observed that the CBI (under the then Congress government) had a “premeditated theory and script” to implicate political leaders rather than trying to find the truth.

The Court had further stated, “In my entire discussion, I have said that the witnesses have turned hostile when I say that the witnesses have turned hostile it merely means that they didn’t depose as per their respective statements recorded by the CBI during its investigation. However, I had the occasion of seeing the deposition of the witnesses while they were in the witness box in this court which clearly reflected that they were speaking the truth before this court. Clearly indicating that their statements were wrongly recorded under CrPc 161 by CBI during the investigation.”

A Special CBI Court had acquitted all 22 accused in the “fake” encounter of gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his associate Tulsiram Prajapati and the murder of his wife, Kauser Bi last month. These cases have long been used to target Amit Shah and Narendra Modi by Congress and the media.