Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) The Congress Wednesday urged rival political parties “not to play politics and inflame passions” over party general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai.

“It is regrettable that the pure metaphor has been blown out of context and distorted,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at the party headquarters.

The statement should be seen in a wider context of “misgovernance in UP (Uttar Pradesh) which drives out talent and youth to outside states”, he added.

“For how long would UP youths go and beg in Maharashtra,” Gandhi had said while addressing a rally in Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh Monday while kicking off the Congress campaign for the ensuing assembly elections.

The Mumbai unit of Samajwadi Party (SP) Tuesday filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi for his comments.

“I urge all not to play politics (over the statement). I urge not to inflame passions. It will be a disservice,” Singhvi said.

He declined to comment on SP’s move to honour party workers assaulted by Congress leaders while showing black flags to the Gandhi scion.

Regarding Uttar Pradesh cabinet’s decision to divide the state into four new states, Singhvi reiterated the party’s stand.

“After inaugurating monuments, including of herself (chief minister Mayawati), why this sudden move?”

Alleging that Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Mayawati was indulging in political gimmickry, he said she might have been nervous about the “great success of Gandhi’s rally”.

Asked about reports that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai had stuck to the figure of Rs 1.72 lakh crore loss in the auction of 2G spectrum before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Congress spokesman said: “All are entitled to their views.”

But a parliamentary panel will put all the claims to cross-examination, he pointed out.

Regarding the proceedings of the standing committee on the Lokpal bill, which is headed by Singhvi himself, he said: “I cannot tell you a time-limit. But we are moving fast to finalise the bill at the earliest.”

Singhvi said the committee had deliberated in detail some 10-12 major issues in the bill and reached a near-consensus.

“Our efforts will be to facilitate a balance between the Lokpal, the Central Vigilance Commission and the Central Bureau of Investigation over the issues of probe in corruption cases,” Singhvi added.