BJP Accuses S.P Of Supporting 2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blast Accused

New Delhi, February 19: Levelling series of new allegations against Akhilesh Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said that the Samajwadi Party has links with the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case and also gives protection to terrorists.

A day ahead of the third phase of U.P elections, Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur held a press conference here at New Delhi where he alleged that that the party chief, indirectly, had rendered support to the blast accused as the Samajwadi Party 2012 had promised to withdraw cases from Muslim youths involved in terrorist activities in its manifesto and released the terrorists as soon as the government was formed.

Demanding an answer from the S.P supremo, Thakur said, "I would like to tell you that Ahmedabad's serial blast is linked to the Samajwadi Party and the 49 people who have been convicted, one of the masterminds is Mohammed Saif, son of Shahbaad Ahmed who is a Samajwadi Party leader. Who is this Samajwadi Party leader? Why is Akhilesh quiet on this?"

The union minister said that while his party's stand has been zero tolerance from the beginning, while the stand of the Samajwadi Party has been to give protection to the terrorists. On Friday, a special court in Gujarat pronounced death sentence to 38 out of 49 convicts in 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blast case, giving life imprisonment until death to the other 11 accused.

Thakur also said that those who carried out the bomb attacks in Lucknow and Ayodhya were released by the Akhilesh government as soon as it was formed in 2013.

"When they came to power in 2013, the charges were dropped. They went to the court. Akhilesh's government did not investigate. Court took cognizance of it saying that today you're withdrawing cases against them, tomorrow will you give them Padma Bhushan?", the senior BJP leader said.