New Delhi: Sweeping aside the raging controversies over scam in a Mumbai housing project and the Commonwealth Games, the Congress today directed all its firepower against RSS accusing it of being involved in terror acts and the BJP on the Babri Masjid demolition issue.
At a day-long session of the AICC, which comes after the election of Sonia Gandhi as Congress President, leaders including Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee avoided any mention of the two scams in their speeches.
In her inaugural speech, Gandhi said Congress and the governments led by her party will 'forcefully' resist attempts by anyone to abuse religion for political gains.
Talking about the September 30 Allahabad High Court verdict on Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, she said that it in 'no way condones' the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.
The demolition was a 'shameful, criminal act' and 'all those responsible must be brought to justice', she said, in an apparent broadside against the BJP, whose leaders including L K Advani are arraigned in the CBI case on demolition.
Taking the attack a notch higher, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee piloted an AICC statement that said 'recent revelations through detailed investigations have exposed the true character of RSS and its sister organisations'.
"The investigations indicate the involvement of its members in terrorist activities." Justifying the inclusion of references to the RSS, Mukherjee said, "RSS organisation is to be exposed. Their links with terrorist activities which have been recently highlighted through the revelations are to be brought in."
Also, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the role of Sonia Gandhi as the 'longest serving' party President for the last 12 years and her efforts in bringing the party to power at the Centre for a second continuous term. He expressed confidence that under her leadership the party would continue to be in power for a long time.
The Congress government in Maharashtra is under attack on the scam relating to Mumbai's Adarsh Housing Society in which party leaders are facing allegations of irregularities. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has already offered his resignation, a decision on which is pending with the party high command.
Both Chavan and Suresh Kalmadi, who was the butt of criticism in organising the mega sports event and corruption allegations, were present at the AICC meeting today which authorised Gandhi to nominate members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party's highest policy making body.