Kolkata, July 12 (IANS) In a snub to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari for his controversial comment terming parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as the ‘son-in-law’ of the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A.B. Bardhan Monday said he would never have made such a comment.
‘I will not indulge in this type of comment,’ Bardhan told mediapersons here, after they pressed him to react to the issue that has generated a war of words between the Congress and the BJP.
However, Bardhan refused to say anything further. ‘I do not comment on individuals. I comment on policies.’
Last Thursday, addressing a rally in Dehradun, Gadkari had attacked the Congress over the delay in executing the death sentence of Afzal Guru.
‘I want to ask Congress leaders is Afzal Guru your son-in-law?… Why is he being given special treatment?’ he had asked.
Afzal Guru was sentenced to death for his role in the Dec 13, 2001, attack on parliament. He has filed a mercy petition with the president.
Addressing party activists in Kolkata Sunday, Gadkari categorically rejected demands for an apology saying he would repeat the comment ‘a thousand times’ if terrorists are protected for the sake of vote bank politics.
Activists of the Chhatra Parishad, the student’s wing of the Congress, Sunday waved black flags at Gadkari in the city to protest his remarks.
