Congress allies NCP and NC oppose snoopgate probe

New Delhi, May 4 :

In a major snub for the Congress, two of its allies – the NCP and the National Conference – Sunday opposed an inquiry commission to probe the snoopgate allegations against BJP leader Narendra Modi, saying the timing was not right.

Speaking to reporters, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and union minister Praful Patel said: “The decision to set up an inquiry into the allegations was taken in December. Now with 10 days to go for election results, it’s not the right time.”

“It won’t be appropriate to set up an inquiry commission at the last hour,” he said, adding this has been conveyed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by Nationalist Congres Party chief Sharad Pawar.

Another Congress ally, the National Conference (NC), too, questioned and criticised the timing of the order to appoint a commission.

“If the decision to appoint a commission was taken in December, it should have been implemented. To appoint a judge five months later, is wrong,” NC leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Congress acknowledged the “different points of view” and said the matter would be discussed with the allies.

“There can always be different points of view… I think these things can be discussed,” party leader and union Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid said.

Expressing “reasonable” confidence that the UPA government will return to power after May 16, Khurshid said: “Even if we suppose that a new government is coming, they can review the matter.”

Modi has been in the middle of a controversy ever since reports surfaced in the media that his close aide Amit Shah was involved in snooping on a woman architect, apparently under the instruction of one “sahib”.

The Congress has repeatedly attacked Modi, understood to be the “sahib” Shah referred to.

(IANS)