Opposition, BJP lock horns over SIMI activists' encounter

Congress and other opposition parties today demanded a judicial probe into the killing of 8 SIMI terrorists in an encounter near Bhopal, while BJP accused them of undermining the morale of security forces by raising questions over its authenticity.
Congress and CPI-M sought a judicial probe so people get to know the truth, but the BJP accused the Congress of coming in support of SIMI activists and politicising the incident.
"I am demanding a judicial probe because even the government must know under what circumstances they escaped. People of the state and country must know how terrorists with with such a record were able to escape from such a high security jail and within hours caught and shot dead," Congress leader Kamal Nath, a Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh, said.

His party colleague Manish Tewari, however, said he would comment on the issue after more details are received since the situation is still evolving.
"It is an evolving situation. Let the police come out with further details as to what happened. We will await for the details. It's much better to wait for more details," he said.
Coming out in defence of the police action, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao accused the Congress of batting for terrorists belonging to SIMI the way it had done for LeT in the past. He alleged leaders of the Congress were undermining the morale of the security forces.

"Congress, like they questioned the cross-LoC surgical strike, they are doing the same again for vote bank politics. They are undermining the morale of our security forces," he said.

"I don't think why Congress wants to speak up for such individuals. Politicising the encounter is certainy not a done thing. But Congress party has done this for a long time.
"Looking at the way Congress is politicising the encounter, and that too concerning the particular group or organisation, is a matter of concern. Congress seems to raise concern only when LeT terrorists are killed and when SIMI activists who are convicted and involved in jailbreak. Congress party springing to their defence raises curiosity," he said.

CPI-M's Brinda Karat termed the official version of the incident as "highly dubious and suspicious". She said the versions of state government and police were "contradictory".
Admitting lapses and a security breach by the jail
authorities, Rao said a probe has been ordered and it will go into everything. He, however, questioned Congress' "selective" interest in "certain groups".
"The Congress seizes upon all kinds of political opportunity and this is really what surprises us. Why this selective interest in certain groups," the BJP spokesperson asked.
Alleging "discrepancies" in the official version of the escape of SIMI activists from a Bhopal jail and their killing in a subsequent encounter with police, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi demanded an inquiry by Supreme Court to bring out "all facts".

"I feel that an inquiry by Supreme Court would unravel all the weaknesses and any steps which have been taken not to bring the whole facts out of it," he told reporters in Hyderabad, adding that a probe by Supreme Court would bring out all the facts and any attempts to supress them.
"There is huge discrepancy in what the Home Minister and the police officials are saying. The Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh says that these undertrials were armed with spoons. If they were armed with spoons, the Madhya Pradesh ATS could have easily overpowered them, because ATS has all sophistacated weapons. They could have easily arrested them.

"But, people who have run away from prison after assassinating a guard and they only have spoons. So, to any normal person, this theory is unbelievable," he said.
CPI's D Raja said what happened in Madhya Pradesh was a serious breach of security and it had raised several questions with respect to the jail administration and security arrangements.
"I think the incident needs to be thoroughly probed and investigated. We should go for a high-level inquiry on who should be held responsible and accountable for such a breach of security. The incident needs a high-level, thorough probe," he said.
Eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of the city hours after they escaped from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail killing a security guard.

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Congress leader Digvijay Singh demanded that the judicial probe into the encounter be also monitored by court. Besides, he also sought a judicial probe into the functioning of the jails.
"If a probe is to be done by NIA, then it should be monitored by court and a judicial probe should be conducted on the functioning of the jails," he said.
In a series of tweets, Singh raised questions about why the escapees were killed and not captured alive. He also asked why only SIMI prisoners escaped from the jail.
"If they were caught alive then entire details would have been known. But the entire chronology would have come out. Probably, that is why they were killed," he said in a tweet, asking why the MP police killed them.

He said it was the Congress government which banned SIMI.
Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the encounter.
"This is very serious. We demand an SC monitored investigation," he said on twitter.