Congress appeasing terrorists: BJP

The BJP today questioned the secular credentials of the Congress and accused it of appeasing terrorists and engaging in a loot of the nation through "scores of scandals".

"Secularism for Congress is appeasement of terrorists. Why is Afzal Guru not hanged despite order from Supreme Court?" BJP president Nitin Gadkari asked at a rally in Bhubaneshwar.

It was because of its appeasement policy that the Congress did not take action against terrorists involved in the Parliament attack, he alleged.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi had told US ambassador Timothy Roemer that growth of "radicalised Hindu groups" which create religious tensions in India could pose a bigger threat to the country than activities of groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"What kind of secularism is this?" he asked.

Terrorists and criminals have no religion or faith and they need to be booked under provision of law, he said.

Slamming Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik for his statement "every bone of my body is secular", Gadkari asked why the killers of VHP leader Laxamananda Saraswati were not nabbed even after about two and half years.

"Is it because Saraswati belonged to Hindu community?" he asked ridiculing Patnaik.

BJP, Gadkari said, did not believe in politics based on religion, caste and creed but was pursuing politics of development. "We want to make India a prosperous nation."

"We also believe that politics is means of socio-economic reforms," he said adding Congress lost the Bihar Assembly polls as BJP had worked for the state's development.

The BJP president lambasted UPA government at the Centre accusing it of having "direct link" in the second generation mobile telephony spectrum scam and the Commonwealth Games scandal.

"2010 is the year of scandals," he said adding Bofors issue had exposed the "real character" of Congress leaders.

"What is the Gandhi family's relationship with Quattrocchi and his wife Maria?" Gadkari asked, claiming that the couple had direct access to the Gandhi family.

He asked the people to give BJP another chance and promised to put irrigation in the concurrent list instead of the state list.