M K Stalin slams misuse of NIA for political gains, targeting minorities

Chennai: While reiterating that no religion and no political party supported terrorism and that acts of terror were against the basic tenets of all religions, the DMK president M. K. Stalin on Tuesday urged the BJP-led central government to immediately stop the "misuse" of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for "its (BJP'S) political gains" and targeting the Muslim community in particular in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere.

Expressing deep concern at some recent developments wherein NIA has been given sweeping powers to dispatch its men to various districts of Tamil Nadu, particularly targeting Muslim youth and portraying "all Muslims as terrorists" ,Mr Stalin said this was "highly condemnable and totally unacceptable."

There were instances of NIA men making arrests even without the Tamil Nadu police knowing it, Stalin said in a statement here. This was shocking as there was a separate internal security wing functioning at the DGP's headquarters office in Chennai, which was headed by a DIG rank officer. The wing had several sub-units to gather intelligence, besides the 'Q' Branch police and all these were directly under the purview of the Chief Minister, the DMK leader pointed out.

Mr  Stalin urged that the Centre should first realise that members of all religious faiths had tremendous integrity in not supporting the terrorist forces. That was the basis of India's religious and cultural plurality and the patriotic spirit fostered by citizens from all sections of society, binding India's unit at large. This, Mr Stalin, hoped will be appreciated by the BJP government at the Centre instead of looking at religious Minorities with suspicion.

The DMK leader termed as "undignified" the BJP's attempt to gain strength in Tamil Nadu by misusing agencies like the NIA against members of the Islamic fraternity, just as it sought to "politicise" the use of other agencies like Income Tax, ED and CBI to browbeat the opposition. There were other democratic means for the BJP to function as a political party and expand its influence, but to "misuse" Central agencies to further its political agenda was totally unacceptable, Stalin said.

When all political parties stood united against any form of terrorism, to mistake that stand for compliance with anything and everything the BJP-led Central government tried to do in Tamil Nadu, particularly through the use of NIA to target minorities, did not befit any "responsible ruling party", Stalin said. He hoped that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, without being mere spectator, impress upon the Centre to give up this 'misuse' of agencies like NIA. The DMK members will also raise the issue in Parliament, he added.

HAILS DR MUTHULAKSHMI REDDY:
In a separate message here, the DMK leader paid rich tributes to India's first woman doctor, Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy on her birth anniversary on Tuesday. He said the late medical doctor fought against male oppression in society, pushed for social justice and reforms. Former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had even named a maternity assistance scheme after Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy, he pointed out.