Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Monday night said the recent political turmoil resulted from a well-planned plot by "heartless people" aimed at returning to power.
He said there were three groups of people involved in a movement responsible for the acts of terror - protest leaders who incited hatred, armed men who attacked government forces and protesters, and financiers who funded the training of armed men.
Suthep dismissed allegation by opposition Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan during Monday's House censure debate that the government set up violence and weapon discoveries in a bid to frame the red shirts for the turmoil that left more than 80 people dead and over a thousand others injured.
"All of these are a well-planned plot by a movement in which Jatuporn is an important part," Suthep said.
He said that he became aware about those people's cruelty after the incident on April 10, in which 21 civilians and five soldiers were killed and several hundreds more were injured.
"People with common sense can decide for themselves that what happened at the Khok Wua intersection could not be set up by the authorities. Only those heartless people could do it. They could even kill innocent people who sided with them and were lured into their movement," Suthep said.
He explained that the government forces ended their operation aiming at dispersing the crowd at sundown but they could not leave the area because they were blocked by the red shirts. Later, hooded armed men began their attacks, firing 15 grenades and rifle shots at the troops and protesters.
Jatuporn, a key opposition debater, is also a leader of the red shirts taking part in a two-month-long anti-government rally in Bangkok that ended with severe riots and torching of several buildings in Bangkok and some other provinces.
On the first day of censure debate against the government on Monday, the opposition focused their attack on Suthep and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Suthep, in response to Jatuporn's allegation, said the charge of terrorism against Jatuporn and other protest leaders and some politicians resulted from their behaviour and connection with the movement over the recent months.
"I regret that innocent citizens were used by heartless people like Jatuporn and his cohorts. ... These people caused massive sin and deep wound for Thailand," said the deputy premier, who is in charge of security affairs.
Suthep said Jatuporn could not deny responsibility for the torching of buildings after he and some other protest leaders gave themselves in to police. He said that after repeatedly preaching violence to protesters, some leaders told their followers before their surrender that "Our fight is not over yet. You can now act freely on your own."
"People in general know what the leaders wanted to mean," Suthep said.
He also rejected Jatuporn's claim that the weapons recently displayed by the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation did not belong to the red shirts. Suthep said part of the weapons was seized from red shirt leaders and their colleagues.
"You seem to think that other people are so stupid you can dupe as you like," Suthep said.
House Speaker Chai Chidchob adjourned the meeting at 2 am, one hour behind the time earlier agreed by the coalition and opposition whips. He also scheduled to meeting to resume at 8.30 am on Tuesday.