CHENNAI: The DMK has urged that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) should not be used for branding Muslims as terrorists since it had allegedly arrested innocent Muslim youth despite the Q branch of Tamil Nadu functioning for the inland security of the State. Stalin’s statement has come at a time when social media users of Muslim communities are criticising the DMK for its support for the bill in parliament to grant more power to NIA.
Stalin said, “On behalf of DMK, I condemn the Union government for using the NIA, which has been set up to take action against the terrorist activities, but is being used for BJP’s political gain, similar to politicising the Income Tax department – an enforcement department, which is supposed to function as an individual body. There is a wing called Q branch, that functions under a DGP for the inland security of Tamil Nadu, which is under the Chief Minister’s control. But, the NIA was sent to various districts in Tamil Nadu by the Union government and innocent Muslim youth were arrested with an aim to branding them as terrorists. The BJP led union government should avoid such kind of activities.”