BJP on Tuesday demanded an apology from Amar Singh for "questioning" the sacrifice of Delhi police officer Mohan Chand Sharma.

"BJP strongly condemns the highly irresponsible, shameful and unfortunate statement of Amar Singh. For his highly deplorable conduct Amar Singh must apologies to the nation," party spokesperson Ravi Shanker Prasad said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

He has not only raised doubts over the killing of terrorists in Jamia Nagar but has also questioned the supreme sacrifice of Mohan Chand Sharma, one of the most outstanding and courageous officer of Delhi Police, he added.

"Singh has also tried to embolden the morale of terrorists and their patrons and demoralise the security forces," he alleged and claimed that the country is witnessing a disturbing trend of a sinister and sponsored campaign against security forces by misleading information.

Earlier, it was the self-appointed intellectuals; now even main stream political parties are into this job for vote bank politics he said.

The saffron party alleged that the trend is "communal politics at its worst" and the casualty is the country's security.

BJP salutes the family members of late officer M C Sharma, who have rejected the offer of Rs 10 lakh by Amar Singh.

The party also questioned the "conspicuous silence" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi over the statements by cabinet ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan "championing the cause" of SIMI.

Withdrawal of support

Earlier on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh indicated that his party could withdraw support to the UPA government if the two students of Jamia Millia Islamia arrested in connection with the Delhi serial blasts were proved to be innocent.

"Shoot them if they are terrorists. But if they are innocent, then they should be given justice," Singh said addressing reporters in Goa, and added, "If a judicial probe says they are innocent, then we can think of withdrawing support to the UPA government."

Singh made the statement while talking on the issue of deceased Delhi Police (Special Cell) Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma's family rejecting his Rs 10 lakh offer.

"I feel sad that his family has reacted in this manner," he said.

Renewing his demand for a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter in which Inspector Sharma was killed, Singh said senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani has agreed to take up the case of the two students following his request.

Further, the SP leader said he will pay the legal expenses for the students after speaking to authorities of the Jamia Millia University.

Citing media reports, Singh said doubts have been raised about the Batla House encounter and the subsequent arrest of the students. "A judicial probe is necessary to clear all confusions," he said.

He, however, said his statement did not mean to support any terrorist "but at the same time innocents should not be harassed".

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh also called for the resignation of Home Minister Shivraj Patil and a judicial probe into the shootout in Delhi's Jamia Nagar, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to label his stance "vote bank politics".

"Shivraj Patil should voluntarily step down in the name of morality and in the wake of the great Congress tradition over the decades," the Samajwadi Party general secretary told reporters in Goa.

The statements led an angry BJP to say that Amar Singh was casting aspersions on the death of Delhi Police Inspector MC Sharma, who died of bullet injuries.

“We strongly condemn the unfortunate comment of Amar Singh in relation to the Jamia Nagar incident and casting doubts over the sacrifice of inspector MC Sharma,” said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi.