New Delhi:
In the latest WikiLeaks expose, a cable from US Ambassador to India, Tim Roemer, quotes Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as telling him that Hindu extremism is a bigger threat than Lashkar militants.
It could could spark off a political storm and prompt the BJP to hit out at Rahul.
In the cable dated August 3 2009, Roemer quotes Rahul as having told him during a lunch meeting that, "although there was evidence of some support for Laskar-e-Taiba among certain elements in India's indigenous Muslim community, the bigger threat may be the growth of radicalised Hindu groups, which create religious tensions and political confrontations with the Muslim community." Gandhi was responding to the Ambassador's query about LeT's activities in the region and immediate threat to India, the cable notes.
Roemer also quotes Rahul as saying, "...the risk of a 'homegrown' extremist front, reacting to terror attacks coming from Pakistan or from Islamist groups in India, was a growing concern and one that demanded constant attention."
(Also Read - WikiLeaks: Rahul increasingly becoming sure-footed, said US)This cable is one of about 3,038 US diplomatic cables sent from Delhi and leaked by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks is releasing a quarter million secret US documents and 5,087 records amongst these refer to India. The United States, which has accused WikiLeaks of stealing its secret cables, has, however, refused to either deny or confirm the authenticity of these cables.
This particular cable contains details of Gandhi's conversation with the envoy at a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence in July 2009 in honour of visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to the cable, the Congress leader shared his views with Roemer on a range of political topics, social challenges, and electoral issues for the Congress party in the next five years. It also notes that Gandhi was referring to the tensions created by some of the more polarising figures in the BJP such as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Signed off by Roemer, the cable adds that Gandhi, who was seated next to the Ambassador at the luncheon, was forthright in describing the challenges faced by the Congress party and the UPA government in the months ahead.
"Over the past four years, he was an elusive contact, but he could be interested in reaching out to the United States, given a thoughtful, politically sensitive and strategic approach on our part," it said.
BJP: RAHUL PLAYING VOTE-BANK POLITICSReacting to the WikiLeaks' release, the BJP slammed Rahul Gandhi saying he and the Congress are trying to harvest Muslim votes by harping on Hindu extremism.
"Rahul's assumptions are preposterous. The Congress party is promoting Hindu-Muslim divide," BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay told NDTV. (With PTI Inputs)