Lucknow: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday refused to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the indictment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee by the Liberhan Commission, saying he "respected" the former Prime Minister as a senior politician.
"Whether the Liberhan Commission has done a right thing or the wrong thing is not for me to say. I am not some sort of a judge to pass judgement on these types of things," he said at a press conference.
Rahul Gandhi's comments came a day after the Congress adopted a conciliatory tone virtually giving a clean chit to Vajpayee in the conspiracy to bring down the Babri Masjid in 1992.
"Vajpayeeji is a senior leader and I respect him. As a young man and as a person nowhere near his experience...in our tradition I owe him a certain deal of respect, which I give," he added.
The Congress General Secretary said since he had not gone through the Commission's report into the demolition of the Babri Masjid, it would not be proper for him to comment.
"I actually have not gone into the details of whether he (Vajpayee) was given an opportunity or not given an opportunity (to depose before the Liberhan Commission)," he said.
Rahul Gandhi was responding to a question about the Liberhan Commission mentioning the former Prime Minister's name in the list of 68 persons, who were held culpable for the demolition of the mosque.
To another question, Gandhi said there were many "capable" people than himself in his party to debate on the Liberhan commission report in Parliament.
"I do not shy away from anything..it was the pressing schedule in the state regarding the Youth Congress' membership drive which has kept me away from Parliament these days," he said when asked whether his absence from the house would deprive the youths' point of view being heard on the topic.
"Had I not come here it would have delayed the schedule for the youth Congress membership drive and elections", he said, adding that after UP he would focus on more states.
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