Hindu terror remark; plea filed to make PM, Sonia witnesses

A plea was on Friday filed in a Delhi court to seek its nod to examine Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi as witnesses in a private complaint case filed against Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his alleged "Hindu terror" remarks made at Jaipur.

Taking up the application, Metropolitan Magistrate Harun Pratap asked complainant Vivek Garg, a Right To Information activist, to explain why was it relevant to summon the Prime Minister and Gandhi as witnesses.

"The complainant is directed to show relevancy of each and every witness sought to be summoned by him," the court said. It also directed the complainant to "file an affidavit along with synopsis showing relevancy of witnesses sought to be summoned."

The complainant also sought to call senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and Chandrabhan of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress as witnesses.

Jairam Garg, appearing for the complainant, told the court that he wanted them to be summoned as witnesses as all of them were present in the All India Congress Committee meet at Jaipur where  Shinde had made the alleged remarks.

Garg had earlier filed the complaint seeking registration of a first information report against Shinde for his alleged comments during the AICC meet at Jaipur in January.

Earlier, the court had dismissed the plea for registration of the FIR, but had allowed the complainant to lead evidence in support of his allegations in the private complaint.

Shinde had at the AICC meet on January 20 said, "Reports have come during investigation that BJP and RSS conduct terror training camps to spread terrorism...Bombs were planted in Samjhauta express, Mecca Masjid and also a blast was carried out in Malegaon."