This Article is From Dec 17, 2010

WikiLeaks: Controversy over Rahul's Hindu extremism remarks

WikiLeaks: Controversy over Rahul's Hindu extremism remarks
New Delhi: A WikiLeaks cable on Rahul Gandhi has provoked a fiery political conspiracy.  The cable states that Gandhi told the US Ambassador to India that Hindu extremism is a bigger threat to India than the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The BJP has reacted with anger, accusing Gandhi of weakening India's war against terror with his remarks.

In a cable dated August 2009, US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer recalls a conversation with Gandhi at a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister for Hillary Clinton's visit to India.

Roemer recalls Gandhi saying, "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 says in the cable that Rahul told him "... the risk of a 'homegrown' extremist front, reacting to terror attacks coming from Pakistan or from Islamists,".

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.

The BJP pointed out that while the Prime Minister has often said that Naxalism and cross-border terror pose the biggest threat to India's internal security. But by shifting the focus to radical Hindu groups, "In one stroke Mr Rahul Gandhi has sought to give a big leverage to the propaganda to all the extremist and terrorist groups in Pakistan, and also some segment of Pakistanis establishment. It would also seriously compromise India's fight against terror as also our strategic security," said the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad. (Read & Watch: Furious BJP targets Rahul)

Speaking to PTI, Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said that the WikLeaks could be part of "a conspiracy." (Read: WikiLeaks on Rahul: Cong suspects conspiracy)

There's also another WikiLeaks cable on Gandhi that highlights the US' opinion on Gandhi.   Dated Februray 22, 2010, it says, "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." (Read: WikiLeaks: Rahul becoming sure-footed, said US)

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