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Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Monday kicked up a row with comments that the Telangana police has set up a “bogus” Islamic State website to radicalise Muslim youth and encourage them to join the terrorist outfit.
Telangana’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi reacted sharply to the “most irresponsible and reprehensible” remarks of the senior Congress leader and demanded that he withdraw those.
“Telangana Police has set up a bogus IS site which is radicalising Muslim youth and encouraging them to become ISIS modules,” Singh said in a post on his Twitter page.
“The issue is whether Telangana Police should be trapping Muslim youths in becoming ISIS modules by posting inflammatory information?
“Is it ethical? Is it moral? Has KCR authorised Telangana Police to trap Muslim Youths and encourage them to join ISIS? If he has then shouldn’t he own the responsibility and resign? If he hasn’t then shouldn’t he enquire and punish those who are responsible for committing such a heinous crime?” Singh said in a series of tweets.
The Congress leader’s comment drew sharp reaction from TRS, with Telangana Industries and IT Minister K T Rama Rao demanding that Singh withdraw his remarks or provide evidence to back his claim.
“Most irresponsible and reprehensible thing coming from a former CM (of Madhya Pradesh). Request you to withdraw these comments unconditionally or provide evidence,” Rama Rao, the son of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, tweeted.
Later, talking to reporters on the issue in New Delhi he wanted to know if the Congress high command endorsed Singh’s remarks.
The Congress leader, who continues to be the party’s general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana after being divested of the charge of Karnataka and Goa on Saturday, said on Twitter that it was after Telangana police’s information “that MP police arrested those who were responsible for a bomb blast in a train in Shajapur district”.
“It also resulted in Saifullaha encounter in Kanpur the same day,” he said.
Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma said the Congress leader’s comments would demoralise the police force and lower the image of personnel engaged in fighting anti-national forces.
“Unfounded allegations from a senior, responsible leader will lower the morale and image of police engaged in fighting anti-national forces,” Sharma said.