From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Oct 7: Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh has asked Home minister Shivraj Patil to voluntarily resign following the Batla house encounter in which two terrorists and one police official was killed.

"Shivraj Patil should voltunatarily resign in the name of morality and keeping in mind the honourable Congress tradition over decades," the Samajwadi party leader said addressing mediapersons at Hotel Intercontinental in Goa.
 
Reiterating his demand for a judicial probe into the controversial encounter, Singh claimed that the SP would reconsider its support to the Central government, if the findings were incriminating.

He also implored upon the State not to brand Muslims as terrorists, making a specific reference to Azamgarh, in Uttar Pradesh. "Azamgarh is the same land which gave birth to intellectuals like Kaifi Azmi. Azamgarh is like a mother to me. Please do not question the patriotism of the Muslims living there," he stated.

Singh expressed shock over the fact that he was being branded a terrorist only because he had questioned the authenticity of the Batla house encounter. "I only made those comments on the basis of media reports which had appeared. Even the findings of the Delhi Union of Journalists show similar sentiments," said Singh.

Singh also promised to help the Batla house accused with financial help in their legal battle and told the media that on his request Ram Jethmalani had agreed to take the case. On being cleared from the cash for vote scandal by the parliamentary committee Amar Singh said truth triumphs. "I have seen video tapes of Sudheendra Kulkarni and Suhail Hindustani who can be seen abusing the parliamentary committee using abusive language. These tapes are also with the parliamentary committee," he claimed.