Desperate Congress now discovered BJP's role in Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said a "desperate Congress" has "discovered" Bharatiya Janata Party's role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi 28 years after the incident.

He took to the micro-blogging website to mount a scathing attack on the Congress party and said: "From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated Union Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government was in power. From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role."

His comments came after senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that Rajiv Gandhi lost his life due to BJP's hatred.

Rajiv Gandhi became a campaign point after Modi called the late prime minister a "brashtachari no 1" (corrupt no 1) a few days ago. Ever since there have been attacks and counter-attacks between

While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Prime Minister Modi had said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1."

Following the remarks, a delegation of senior Congress leaders including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajiv Shukla, and Salman Khurshid met officials of the Election Commission and apprised the poll body of their objection over the Prime Minister's statement.