Hyderabad: AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh has defended his comments against the Telangana police regarding the trapping of Muslim youths through a fake ISIS website and asserted that he was ready to face any action.
Home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy dismissed Mr Singh’s allegation and demanded an unconditional apology or face legal action.
“I made the comments after a great deal of thought. What I feel is that the way in which Muslim youths are being trapped by the Telangana police is not correct. I stand by my comments,” Mr Digvijay Singh said in New Delhi.
He added, “It’s clear that in the Madhya Pradesh Shajapur train blast case and the subsequent encounter of Saifullah, Telangana police had information and had tipped off the MP police. Telangana police admitted it. How did they get his photographs?”
Mr Singh continued, “I can only say that the Telangana police’s strategy of trapping radical Muslims is wrong. It will lead to radicalisation of Muslims. I am not the only one who is opposing this but ATS officials too. There was a meeting on counter terrorism in New Delhi. Everyone there opposed it.” Asked about the Telangana government’s threat to file a criminal case against him if he refuses to tender apology he quipped, “Let them file any case.”
Mr Digvijay Singh and municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao were involved in a Twitter war on Monday on this issue, with KTR slamming Mr Singh.
Meanwhile, TRS activists burnt the effigies of Digvijay Singh across Telangana demanding withdrawal of his statement. A case was also filed at the Jubilee Hills police station in Hyderabad.
Mr Nayani Narasimha Reddy said the TRS wanted an alliance with the Congress in 2014 but Jairam Ramesh and Digvijay Singh raised hurdles and it did not materialise. “They are responsible for breaking ties with TRS. Sometimes Digvijay Singh loses his mental balance,” he said.
