Press Trust of India
Saturday, January 24, 2009 8:39 PM (Ahmedabad)
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday came in for a sharp criticism from state leaders in BJP and Opposition Congress for his controversial remarks on evidence gathered in Mumbai terror attack which has given handle to Pakistan to counter India's position."The remarks are unwanted, unwarranted and uncalled for," said former Chief Minister and BJP leader Suresh Mehta, who believed that, "One did not expect this kind of statement from a Chief Minister."
"Chief Minister's chair carries certain responsibilities and the first and foremost is the interest of the country," Mehta, a known detractor of Modi, said. "A chief minister should not indulge in rhetoric while forgetting discretion," he added.
The Congress described his remarks as "loose talk and cheap rhetoric" and alleged that such statements would help Pakistan, which is being cornered internationally.
The party spokesperson Arjun Modhvadia said that Modi is trying to help Pakistan by making such "irresponsible and damaging statements and remarks."
Modi had recently said that even in India a mere statement is not regarded as evidence under the existing laws. He had wondered that, "What if Pakistan and US both ask India if our law has similar provision which accepts (Ajmal) Qasab's statement as evidence? What can be more unfortunate?"
Following his statement Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought to take advantage of Modi's remarks by claiming that he "agreed" with Pakistan's stance on the issue.
"I want to set the record straight. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has said that mere information cannot be evidence. He agreed with my stand that information is not evidence," Gilani said on Friday.
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