New Delhi, Nov 28 (DHNS): War of words between the Congress and the BJP over Tehelka sexual assault case continued unabated on Wednesday.

Union Minister Kapil Sibal accused the BJP and the RSS of targeting him because he has been taking on Gujarat Chief Minister Narenda Modi. Sibal denied charges of being related to Tarun Tejpal and having shares in his company.

“Because I have been attacking Modi and attacking the BJP, obviously for them this is the only way to spread lies and to vilify my name,” said Sibal while reacting to Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj’s tweet alleging that a Union minister is shielding Tejpal.

Swaraj had tweeted, “Union Cabinet Minister who is the founder and patron of Tehelka is shielding Tarun Tejpal”. She did not take any name.

Sibal said leaders who are “tangentially talking about me should name me if they have the courage.”

An agitated Union minister, Sibal referred to a message  going around in social media.  “There is a message going around in the social media which says that Tarun Tejpal is the son of a Punjab Congress Committee member and an MLA. I don't know. Then it says his mother is the real sister of Kapil Sibal. Now, I am sorry, I did not expect the RSS and the BJP to stoop to this level. They can attack me politically, but they should not bring my family into it.”  Sibal said he has only one sister, Asha Nanda, who lives in Maharani Bagh in New Delhi. I have no other sister,” he said.

He also referred to claims that he held 80 per cent shares in Tehelka magazine till 2011, he said, “I don't even have a single share. No share has ever been alloted to me.”

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley rejected the Congress contention that his party is politicizing the case. “The venue of the offence is selected by the person who commits the offence. My party has nothing to do with the venue of the offence,” he said.

BJP MP and youth wing chief Anurag Thakur too slammed Tejpal. “It is sad to see Tejpal blaming the BJP. He is trying to shield behind this. Blaming BJP and giving political colour will not help him,” Thakur said.