Vote-bank game behind Madani acquittal: BJP

The Kerala BJP unit has alleged that a deliberate surrender by the prosecution had led to the exoneration of PDP chairman ICS Abdul Nasser Madani in the Coimbatore serial blasts case.

In a statement here on Wednesday, State BJP president PK Krishnadas said the Centre and State Governments had raised a challenge to the judicial system of the country by making the prosecution a mere pawn, after making intense efforts to save Madani directly and indirectly.

He pointed out that both the ruling LDF and the Opposition UDF had changed their earlier approach towards Madani with an eye on the Muslim vote-bank. The CPI(M)-led LDF had once claimed credit for arresting Madani on serious charges. The Congress-led UDF had reported to Tamil Nadu Government that releasing Madani on bail would be dangerous. “Both had changed their stands with an eye on the vote-bank. It was after that the efforts had started to save Madani,” the statement said.

Krishnadas said Madani, who had organised campaigns to foment religious hatred and communal unrest, had been issued warrant by courts in 22 cases for provocative acts. Madani possessed weapons and cases related to this had not been concluded, he said.

Madani had been acquitted only in the Coimbatore blasts case, said Krishnadas. He protested the Government’s decision to accord a reception to Madani and to give him treatment even when he was still an accused in several cases was surprising and dangerous. He asked the Government and the Opposition to withdraw from the dangerous move to appease “divisive forces”.

Senior BJP leader and former union minister O Rajagopal said the main political fronts in the State had been vying with each other to assist Madani and therefore, there was no surprise in the fact that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against him.

State BJP secretary MT Ramesh said the special court’s verdict in Coimbatore exonerating Madani was extremely unfortunate. The prosecution had failed in establishing the case against the PDP leader, he said.

The then LDF Government in Kerala had handed Madani over to the Tamil Nadu Government in 1998 on the conviction that he had committed the crime, Ramesh said.

The verdict now proved that the Tamil Nadu Government had failed in presenting in the court the necessary evidences to support the case, he added.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha State president K Surendran said there was mystery in the acquittal of Madani when almost all the other accused had been found guilty. Almost all political parties had adopted an approach that Madani should be released and this could have influenced the prosecution, he felt. While all were concerned about the rights of Madani, nobody was speaking about the rights of the people who were killed in the serial blasts, he added.

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