Bhopal, February 05 (Pervez Bari): After rolling of heads, though only with changes in postings of IAS and IPS officers, over the remission granted to alleged five members of banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India, (SIMI), the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, (MPCC), has now trained its gun against the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled state’s Jails Minister Jagdish Deora.
Addressing a Press conference here on Saturday MPCC spokesman K. K. Mishra while calling for Deora’s sacking termed the whole episode as a ”major conspiracy”. He forthwith demanded Central Bureau of Investigation, (CBI), probe into it.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should not hesitate in recommending a CBI inquiry into the episode while getting rid of his cabinet colleague Deora seeing the “seriousness of the matter”, Mishra painstakingly emphasized.
While penalizing the government officials and giving clean chit to the concerned minister speaks of double standards of the government’s stand, remarked Mishra.
Queering the pitch by reiterating the allegation of exchange of Rs. 30 millions (Rs. 3 crore) in lieu of release of the five alleged SIMI members namely Aadil Pervez, Ayaz, Akbar, Mehruddin and Irshad from Khachrod sub-jail in Ujjain district, Mishra said such remissions were not possible sans the consent of political leaders and officials.
They were first apprehended in Unhel on March 30, 2008. On January 12, the District and Sessions Court sentenced them to five years in prison for treason but within two weeks the convicts were freed from Khachrod Sub-Jail in Ujjain district. They were released under an amnesty scheme on January 26 last along with many others on the ground of good conduct. They were, however, re-arrested late Friday night (February 4) following an uproar by the saffron outfits to which state Congress party also lend vociferous support and injected a new angle of huge money transaction but without any supporting evidence to substantiate its charge.
Mishra alleged that a meeting was conducted at Jail Minister Mr. Deora’s residence two months back when the conspiracy was hatched and the persons concerned were given specific tasks. He charged that through former RSS Pracharak Tapan Bhaumik, who is at present state secretary of the BJP, money reached the concerned and freedom was granted to the five alleged SIMI members taking the advantage of traditional Republic Day remissions.
He questioned if the remissions were legal conforming to all rules and regulations, as claimed by the State Government, then why were the five re-arrested on Friday night. The extraordinary decision of arresting the released alleged SIMI members again was preceded by the suspension of a deputy jailer and “lighter punishment” to a senior IAS officer and an IPS officer who were in-charge of the jail department. While Sanjeev Kumar, deputy jailer of Khachrod sub-jail, was suspended, Principal Secretary Sudesh Kumar stripped of the Jail portfolio, and Director General of Police (Jail) V K Panwar transferred as Additional DG (Police Reforms and Community Policing). He asked as to why no action has been initiated against Deputy Inspector-General (Prisons) RS Vijayvargiya who made the remissions’ proposal.
Mishra expressed surprise over the ”unusual silence” by BJP leaders including state chief Prabhat Jha.
Meanwhile, it may be stated here that on condition of anonymity an official of Jail Department said that the file for releasing jail inmates was sent to Jail Minister Deora and only after his approval the prisoners were released. The jail official maintained that as per the rules, the files relating to giving amnesty goes to top level of the government and the decision to release the prisoners must have been taken at the government level.
Sources say that BJP organization is not willing to drop Deora from the Council of Minister because his removal may have adverse impact on the ensuing bye-election from Sonkutch, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste, which is slated for polling on February 14. Deora may be removed in case the issue flares up and that too after the polling has taken place in the ongoing bye-poll i.e. after February 14.
It may be pointed out here that former ministers Ajay Vishnoi and Anup Mishra in the Chouhan cabinet had to step down after landing into controversy. It now remains to be seen as to what action does the government takes in case of Deora.
It may be stated here that Mishra following the release of the alleged SIMI convicts had mockingly in a statement stated that Chouhan was not running an elected government but a “Circus” wherein internal security has been put to shreds. (pervezbari@eth.net)