PTI

New Delhi, Mar 26: Stung by Congress tirade against its senior leader L K Advani, BJP on Wednesday raked up insurgency in Punjab and North-East, terrorism in Kashmir and the LTTE issues in a bid to push the ruling party to the backfoot.

Hitting back at Congress, the main Opposition party said it has no “moral right” to speak on terrorism and criticize the BJP as it had always “supported and encouraged” terrorism with an eye on vote bank.

Senior leaders Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley also found nothing wrong in Advani visiting Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi as they noted that both the parties should respect each other since they were not enemies but political rivals.

“Who created Bhindranwale, who sponsored him, who is responsible for his activities, who sent Army into Golden Temple?” Naidu asked in an attempt to turn the tables on the Congress.

He held the policies of the Congress responsible for outbreak of terrorism in Kashmir and accused it of encouraging insurgent outfits - ULFA in Assam, LTTE in Sri Lanka, SIMI and Al-Umma.

“Who gave training and funds to LTTE? Who sent IPKF to Sri Lanka resulting in the death of 1000 personnel not for the country? Who is responsible for ULFA and then SULFA. Who is responsible for growth of naxalism? Who joined hands with them at the political level,” he sought to know.

He warned the Congress not to point accusing fingers at the BJP, saying such tactics will “boomerang” on the party and push it to the backfoot.

“The Congress has no moral right to speak on terrorism and criticise the BJP,” Naidu told reporters.

His comments came in response to Congress attacks on Advani for his remarks that he was not aware that former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh was accompanying terrorists to Kandahar till it happened.

Referring to a Kerala Assembly resolution seeking the release of Abdul Nasser Madhani when his trial was on in the Coimbatore blast case, he alleged that Congress has supported outfits like Al-Umma, SIMI, Laskhar-e-Toiba and Deendar Anjuman.

“Don't dare to criticise the BJP. Everything will come out in the open. It will boomerang on you and you will be pushed to the backfoot,” he said.

Reacting to the ruling party's criticism that Advani's meeting with Gandhi was a “gimmick”, he said, “whatever is done they feel it is a gimmick because that is what they have been doing all these years”.

There is nothing wrong in the Leader of the Opposition meeting the Chairperson of the ruling alliance as he was following only a tradition, he said.

“Advani himself has been talking about untouchability in politics.... After all we should respect each other. We are not enemies, but political rivals,” he added.

Jaitley said Advani showed grace in meeting Gandhi to wish her on the occasion of Holi, but the Congress is exhibiting lack of grace.