Arun Jaitley slams Congress for petty politics and contrarian views

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday accused Oppsosition Congress of being "irresponsible" for not allowing Union home minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement in Rajya Sabha on the Gurdaspur terrorist attack and making contrarian statements regarding the hanging of Yakub Memon, the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the opposition party, due to its "petty" politics, presented the country as a "divided" house by not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the cross-border terror attack.

He also slammed Congress leaders for giving contrarian statements on 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon's death sentence, which was upheld by the Supreme Court, saying it is "a cause of concern" and asked the party president Sonia Gandhi to explain Congress's stand on the issue.

Jaitley also said the evidence that the Gurdaspur attack was from across the border is "overwhelmingly conclusive", but refused to say whether dialogue with Pakistan was still possible after this.

"That is a view the government will take and the External Affairs ministry will take. I would not like to comment on this. That is part of a diplomatic strategy. But, the evidence that it's an attack from across the border now appears to be overwhelmingly conclusive," he said, when asked if the disalogue with the neighbouring country was possible.

The finance minister also said, "The irresponsible statements which have come from some Congress leaders with regard to the punishment given to the accused of the 1993 Mumbai blasts also raises a cause of concern."

He said mainstream national parties are expected to react in a responsible manner and are not expected to show the country as a divided house.

"At least they should have spoken in one voice on an issue like national security. We expect the Congress will once again review its negative and irresponsible behaviour," he said, adding, the party's leadership has "failed the test".

Jaitley expected Sonia Gandhi to clarify before the whole country as to why its party is not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the issue of national security, particularly in the wake of the Gurdaspur incident.

"...to explain how its leaders, some of whom have come out with contrarian statements with regard to the punishment given by the judicial process in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case," he said.