MANGALURU: A day after NIA implicated the Popular Front of India (PFI) for the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru, the PFI Karnataka State Committee on Wednesday accused the BJP government of misusing the NIA in order to target the leaders of the organisation on the pretext of investigating the Praveen Nettaru murder case.
"There have been several murder incidents in the state recently, including the serial killings in Dakshina Kannada district. The BJP government has not given any significance to the investigation of the murders of Arbaaz from Belagavi, Sameer Shahapur, Masood of Sullia, Fazil of Suratkal. Just the murder of rowdy sheeter Harsha from Shivamoga and Praveen Nettaru is glorified," PFI state secretary AK Ashraf told reporters at a press meet here.
He said the preliminary investigation conducted by the local police into Harsh's murder revealed that it was a fallout of a gang war while Praveen's murder was due to local communal enmity. However, he alleged that Sangh Parivar activists were involved directly in the murder cases of Muslim youths in the state and accused the BJP government of following a biased approach.
Ashraf further alleged that there was a larger conspiracy behind handing over only the murder cases of BJP workers to NIA. "It is clear that they have misused NIA. A Muslim youth accused in the recent stabbing incident in Shivamoga also has been booked under UAPA, which is an example of how the BJP is misusing investigative agencies like the NIA," he said.
Ashraf termed the NIA raids on the houses and offices of the leaders of Muslim organisations as misuse of constitutional institutions and harmful to democracy.
"The BJP government has been executing massive campaigns against its staunch ideological opponent – PDI – to cover up its administrative failures. But so far it has not been able to provide legal evidence against the constitutionally functioning PFI. We cannot be intimated by such threats. The BJP government should immediately stop targetting Muslim leaders using NIA failing which the organisation will launch legal and democratic struggles across the state," he threatened.