Spy network case: Cong demands SC-monitored CBI probe

Congress today alleged that some BJP members had links with a nationwide spy network helping Pakistan's ISI and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe in the matter.
Congress spokesperson Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Anti Terrorism Squad of Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested 11 people who provided information to ISI on army installations, army movement and about its officers, four of whom are linked to the BJP and are its members.
He said the police have recovered from their possession a laptop, 50 mobile phones, 3000 SIM cards and 50 SIM card boxes and there is information that around 30 telephone exchanges are operating in four main cities of the country providing information to ISI.

He said surprisingly when they were nabbed it was revealed that this is a nationwide spy network operating for Pakistan's the ISI in India.
Scindia said the ruling BJP raises question marks on patriotism of its opponents and is busy in giving certificates on nationalism and asked how it has "now been caught sheltering anti-national elements".
"We demand that this matter be investigated by the CBI under monitoring of the Supreme court," he said.

"The truth is that BJP has compromised on national security...The same party has been caught providing shelter to anti-nationals. The BJP which is ruling over the country seems to have become world's first 'ISI certified' party. This is its real face," he said.

Scindia said the Congress has been raising the issue of internal security inside and outside Parliament for last two- and-a-half years.
"However, it is for the first time that links of these elements have been revealed with the ruling BJP. Four persons out of 11 arrested by Madhya Pradesh ATS have direct links with the ISI. The first person Dhruv Saxena has been member of the BJP Youth Morcha and convenor of the IT cell. There are several pictures of him with the chief minister and with BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
"Another person Jitendra Singh is a close relative of a BJP councillor in Gwalior. The third, Balram Singh, who is a mastermind of the spy racket, is a member of the Bajrang Dal. A fourth person arrested Ashish Singh Rathor is a Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist.

Scindia also posed five questions to central government, asking whether a political party should not check the background of its members and if its members are found supporting anti-national elements, "should action not be initiated against that party".
He charged the ruling BJP of busy in electioneering and 'jumlas' rather than paying attention to the country's internal security.
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"As I said during last Parliament session, atrocities should not be inflicted on innocents. Action should be taken against those involved in wrongdoings, but there is a need to adopt restraint.
"The manner in which children were blinded and atrocities were committed on them during last year's agitation in Jammu and Kashmir, there is a need for restraint as no one wants to give shelter to bad people. There should be strict action against wrong, but that should happen after investigation," Scindia said.

He said the Prime Minister had on February 4 talked about surgical strikes carried out on Pakistan land at a rally in Meerut.
"The country wants to know whether Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has become Pakistan's land? Has India left all its right on PoK? I have not received a reply to these two questions," he said.
Accusing the BJP and the Prime Minister of only putting forth their issues through "jumlas" (election rhetoric), the Congress leader said, "Working on the ground is different from jumlabaazi and giving speeches."
He said despite surgical strikes, there has been a big rise in cases of ceasefire violation and infiltration. There have been 455 ceasefire violations after the surgical strikes and the government of the country has to give a reply to the people, he said.

"Internal security is an issue linked to every individual and the Congress party will raise this issue at every level on every platform during the Uttar Pradesh elections," he said when asked if Congress would make internal security an issue in the UP polls.