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Thursday, Aug 31, 2006

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National

Congress wants BJP to apologise

Special Correspondent

"The BJP/ABVP has given a new definition to "Guru Dakshina"

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of a college lecturer in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, allegedly by activists of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and demanded action and an apology from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Reacting to the incident in which H.S. Sabharwal of Madhav College lost his life following an attack by students during college union polls, the party said the incident "shocked" the Congress. "The BJP/ABVP has given a new definition to "Guru Dakshina," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, adding that even so many days after the incident, there has been no apology.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minster and party general secretary, Digvijay Singh, said the ABVP, which was supposed to guide the student community and carry forward the cultural heritage taught by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh "has just demonstrated what it has learnt."

In a separate statement, the Congress leader said that while no arrests were made so far, those who wanted to file a first information report were being "terrorised" against doing so.

Strong reaction

He said what was more shocking was that while the entire country watched the incident on television police and authorities maintained they were yet to get a witness.

The party also reacted strongly to the arrest of an editor of a Surat eveninger by the Gujarat Government. It showed not just the intolerance, but the true face of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he added.

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