Senior Congress Leader and AICC General Secretary, Digvijaya Singh, triggered a controversy, alleging that the Telangana Police were trapping Muslim Youth, by encouraging them to join Islamic State.

Singh, who is the Congress in-charge of Telangana and neighboring Andhra Pradesh, in a series of tweets, alleged that the Police in the southern state had set up a bogus ISIS site and were posting inflammatory information to trap young Muslim men.

Telangana Police has set up a bogus ISIS site which is radicalising Muslim Youths and encouraging them to become ISIS Modules.

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

He posted in a series of tweets. Digvijaya said, “It was on their information that MP Police arrested accused who were responsible for the bomb blast in train in Shajapur District of MP.”

It was on their information that MP Police arrested accused who were responsible for the bomb blast in train in Shajapur District of MP

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

The Congress leader further fueled the controversy with his subsequent tweets holding the Telangana police responsible for the Saifullah encounter in Kanpur. He further tweeted:

“It also resulted in Saifullah encounter in Kanpur the same day.”

It also resulted in Saifullaha encounter in Kanpur the same day.

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

“The issue is whether Telangana Police should be trapping Muslim Youths in becoming ISIS modules by posting inflammatory information?”

The issue is whether Telangana Police should be trapping Muslim Youths in becoming ISIS modules by posting inflammatory information?

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

“Is It Ethical ? Is it Moral ? Has KCR authorised Telangana Police to trap Muslim Youths and encourage them to join ISIS ?”

Is It Ethical ? Is it Moral ? Has KCR authorised Telangana Police to trap Muslim Youths and encourage them to join ISIS ?

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

“If he has then shouldn't he own the responsibility and resign ?”

If he has then shouldn't he own the responsibility and resign ?

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

“If he hasn't then shouldn't he enquire and punish those who are responsible for committing such a heinous crime ?”

If he hasn't then shouldn't he enquire and punish those who are responsible for committing such a heinous crime ?

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 1, 2017

The Telangana Chief of Police, Anurag Sharma responded on Twitter, calling the allegations of the senior Congress leader “unfounded” and stating that these sorts of accusations would lower the morale of the security personnel fighting anti-India forces. The Telangana Police had never said they were behind the arrest of those responsible for the bomb blast in Madhya Pradesh. “We are doing our duty sincerely. We are offended with his comments,” the director general of police said.

Unfounded allegations from a senior responsible leader will lower the morale and image of Police engaged in fighting anti-national forces https://t.co/vzR8dfVldc

— DGP TELANGANA POLICE (@TelanganaDGP) May 1, 2017

Without providing any evidence for his allegations, he asked the Telangana Chief Minister to take action against police or “own responsibility and resign”. The Telangana Minister, K T Rama Rao, said responding to Digvijay’s tweet. “Most irresponsible & reprehensible thing coming from a former CM. Request you to withdraw these comments unconditionally or provide evidence,”

Most irresponsible & reprehensible thing coming from a former CM. Request you to withdraw these comments unconditionally or provide evidence https://t.co/cg7p7Ym48X

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 1, 2017

It was not just Rama Rao or Sharma who expressed their objection to the tweet. Several hundreds of Twitter users replied to the tweet, asking Singh to provide proof for the ‘wild allegation’. The minister further said that it was not the first time that Digvijay had passed such comments against the police and armed forces and demanded that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi intervene in the matter. “If Rahul does not intervene, we will assume that it has the approval of the Congress vice president,” KTR said, demanding an apology from Digvijay.   

On March 8, the UP anti-terrorist squad killed a suspected IS member Saifullah allegedly on a tip-off provided by the Telangana Police. Saifullah was linked to a blast in a Bhopal-Ujjain train in MP in which 10 persons were injured.

SUPRAJA