Attacking the BJP leadership for refusing to lunch with the Prime Minister ahead of the Parliament session, the Congress said on Friday that it was an attempt to subvert the Supreme Court-ordered investigations into the Sohrabuddin encounter killing case.
    
Calling it a contempt of court, the party said the BJP which calls itself a responsible party was fielding its senior leaders to influence and subvert the Supreme Court initiated ongoing investigations.
    
The Congress said the BJP leadership was scared and was attempting to create an arc of immunity for Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, who has been summoned by CBI in the case.
    
"It is amazing, distressing and unjustifiable" conduct on the part of the BJP leaders which is indefensible and unheard of. By its action, the BJP is scaling new heights of improper conduct and is avoiding investigations, Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
    
Reacting to the decision of the top leadership, including L K Advani and Nitin Gadkari, not to attend the Prime Minister's lunch, he said, the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi appears to have pressurised senior BJP leaders to prevent and obstruct an ongoing investigation.
    
Recalling that it was the Supreme Court that had directed the CBI to conduct the investigations six months ago, he said, the BJP is scared as the investigation was nearing completion and it has appeared to have zeroed in on Amit Shah.
    
"It has obviously sent collective shivers on the part of BJP. The press conference by the party leaders today is a blatant attempt to pressurise investigations and investigators. It is a crude attempt to create an arc of immunity for Shah," Singhvi said.

Singhvi said the BJP leadership's action betrays anxiety on the part of BJP, Amit Shah and Narendra Modi who have somthing to hide.
    
"It is churlish and extremely bad for the BJP to link chalk and cheese-- the interrogation of Amit Shah and PM's lunch invitation. It is BJP's rejection of the spirit of constructive cooperation extended by the PM to ensure smooth conduct of Parliament," he said.
    
He said the invitation has been spurned by the BJP for their own self-serving motives to protect individuals who are facing criminal investigations. This is a desperate and deplorable attempt to link unconnected issues.
    
To a question, he said, it was laughable that the party was trying to connect these issues and was reflection of an irresponsible opposition.

Meanwhile, the CBI has sent teams to the office and residences of Gujarat Minister Amit Shah to locate him after he failed to appear before the investigating agency for the second time on Friday in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
     
"Yes, we have sent teams," CBI sources said, but evaded a direct reply when asked whether the teams have been sent to arrest him.