PC unhappy over Sinha episode

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said he was “distressed and unhappy” over the police lathicharge on senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in Ranchi.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said he was “distressed and unhappy” over the police lathicharge on senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in Ranchi.

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“I have great respect for the honourable members who have complained about police excesses, but I am not able to make any judgement,” the minister said.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, senior BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said he was forcibly lifted by the police and dumped in a jeep like a gunny bag.“We were not even given first aid,” Sinha told Rajya Sabha. Chidambaram, however, contradicted Sinha’s claim that he was not given first-aid. “I may add that the circle officer, Namkum, personally accompanied Sinha to a hospital,” Chidambaram said.

Advani parrots Modi

Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani said in the Lok Sabha that the Mumbai terror attacks could not have taken place without local support and demanded a “thorough judicial inquiry”

Toeing Modi’s line, Advani said, “It is clear that planning happened for a year and they visited the places they attacked on November 26. It is not possible that there are no local links in 26/11.”

He questioned the basis on which the Mumbai Police Commissioner gave a “certificate” denying any local involvement and holding that all those responsible for the carnage had been accounted for.