Abdul Nazer Mahdani arrives in Kerala, thanks interventions

Kochi: PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani, granted bail in the 2008 Bengaluru blast case, arrived at the Nedumbassery airport here amid tight security. He thanked people from the state for their “interventions based on justice and human rights” that finally enabled him to visit the state after a year. Mr Madani, who was allowed relaxation in bail conditions following intervention of the Supreme Court, to visit his ailing mother and attend in son’s marriage, arrived in Kochi by a private airlines by 3.17 pm. He was accorded a rousing welcome by hundreds of PDP activists.  

“I thank the entire section of people from the state across religions, the government and the opposition for backing me as it was a human rights issue. I was granted bail in the case three years ago and was not serving any jail term as is the widespread belief. There was a restriction for me to go out of the Bengaluru city. Hence denying me to visit my mother is against the human rights norms,” he told reporters here. He, however, refused to say anything on the case against him in Karnataka.

Earlier, he was accompanied by two police inspectors in the plane while a large posse of security personnel from the neighbouring state had assembled at the airport by the time his plane  landed. The Kerala police personnel too were deployed in strength. Mr Madani left for his house at Anvarsseri in Kollam district. He would travel to Kannur to attend his elder son Omar Muktar’s marriage on August 9 and will return to his ancestral house. He would return to Bengaluru on August 19.