Cong pulls up Digvijaya for remarks on Osama's burial

The Congress on Tuesday "disapproved" party general secretary Digvijaya Singh's statement on the sea burial of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US forces.

The Congress on Tuesday "disapproved" party general secretary Digvijaya Singh's statement on the sea burial of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US forces.

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"We disapprove and disagree with his remarks. It's a communal approach," said a top Congress functionary.

Saying that the situation in Osama's case was different, he said, "Was he engaged in some noble or religious work?"

The disapproval came soon after Singh, who oversees the party's affairs in UP met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

While it was not known what transpired in the meeting, Singh, denied that he was summoned by Gandhi on the issue.

"The statement did not come up for discussion ... It is absolutely rubbish. I had gone there for a meeting in which many senior leaders, including Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Suresh Pachauri were also present."

According to reports on Monday Osama's body had been buried at sea. Reacting to it, Singh had said: "No matter how big a criminal one might be… His religious traditions should be respected while burying him".

On Tuesday, Singh stood by his comments and said there were no differences between his views and that of the party.

"I am not responsible for this controversy created by the media."