Cong compares Modi to Dawood Ibrahim?

Congress on Tuesday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party for implying that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had 'condescended' on the judiciary by appearing before the Special Investigation Team, wondering whether it would say the same thing if Dawood Ibrahim was brought before the law.

"Tomorrow if Dawood Ibrahim (wanted for his alleged role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts) is brought before the law, will the BJP say that he has condescended upon the Indian judiciary by appearing before it," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters in New Delhi.

"This is very childish talk," said Tewari, reacting to the BJP's effusiveness over Modi appearing before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT to investigate a post-Godhra riots case.

Upping the ante against BJP, Tewari said one has to face punishment if he has failed to discharge his administrative responsibility.

"The BJP has been repeatedly saying the Gujarat Chief Minister has condescended on the judiciary by appearing before the SIT. But the fact is that if you have not discharged your administrative responsibility, you will have to face punishment," he said.

The Congress spokesperson said the Gujarat government did nothing to protect the citizens (during the post-Godhra violence).

"A few people even say your (Modi's) government was embroiled in the massacre. So if you have not fulfilled your administrative responsibility, you have to face punishment," he added.

Tewari, at the same time, refused to make any further comment either on the controversy surrounding film star Amitabh Bachchan becoming the brand ambassador of Gujarat and or on former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's defence of the actor.