Questioning the authenticity of the taped conversation purportedly between former Gujarat State Home Minister Amit Shah, considered close to Modi, and IPS officer G L Singhal, BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad said even web portal Cobrapost, which made the audio CD public, has not vouched for it.
"Congress' talk of a probe is all non-sense. Law and order is a state subject. Has the woman complained about the matter? Her father has issued a statement saying he had asked for security for her. With what authority is Congress and Government of India asking for a probe? Prasad said.
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He reiterated the party stand that the "dirty tricks department" of Congress is behind the issue and sought to know how Cobrapost got possession of the tapes which Singhal had handed over to CBI much earlier.
"There has been a quid pro quo between CBI and Singhal. After this trade-off, Singhal was given bail," Prasad said. CBI had not objected to the bail application of Singhal in the Sohrabuddin encounter killing case.
BJP alleged IAS officer Pradeep Sharma of Gujarat cadre had taken this issue to the Supreme Court in which his counsel Colin Gonsalves had said on May 12, 2011 that "neither he nor the petitioner has any intent to make the faintest allegation of any personal impropriety against the Chief Minister".
Prasad claimed Sharma had taken back all charges against Modi and wondered why the same allegations, "which were rejected by the Supreme Court", are now being raked up.
Terming the charges against Modi as "baseless", BJP claimed Congress "is engaging in such activities as it is frustrated in the face of certain defeat".
"People had walked out of Rahul Gandhi's rally yesterday. I can understand Congress' frustration," Prasad said.