Various NDA constituents have taken strong exception to BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s remarks that the recent blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore were “a conspiracy to divert attention from the ‘cash-for-votes scandal’.”

“I see a conspiracy to divert attention from the cash-for-votes scam,” said Swaraj at a press conference after an NDA meeting here today. “The Muslim votes got scattered from them (the UPA) because of friendship with the US. They are raising the bogey of the BJP to bring them back into their camp.”

She also claimed that the blasts, within 24 hours, in the two states ruled by it also made it believe that there was “something more than meets the eye.” Asked if she was alleging that the UPA had a role in the blasts, she said: “I have said what I wanted, it is for all of you to interpret the rest.”

These remarks angered the BJP’s allies who stopped short of calling Swaraj’s statement as outrageous.

Said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader S S Dhindsa: “Without any pro, there’s no point in making these kinds of allegations.” Added Janata Dal-United’s (JD-U) Prabhunath Singh: “I don’t quite agree with this assertion. There’s no co-relation between the trust vote and the blasts.” Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Braj Kishore Tripathi said that he had “no information to this effect”.

In Patna, speaking earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said it was not time for “finding fault with functioning of intelligence agencies” after the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. “It’s time to strengthen communal harmony to foil divisive designs of terrorists. Political bickering could only make us fall in trap of extremist elements. Blaming an agency or community would not serve any purpose but standing united would surely do in this hour of crisis.”

... contd.