Arrest of IS suspects in Hyderabad should not be politicised: Tejaswi Yadav

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav on Saturday refrained from commenting on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's decision to provide legal aid to five IS suspects arrested from Hyderabad by the National Investigation agency, but asserted that such issues should not be politicised and the investigative agencies must be allowed to probe the matter freely.

Speaking to ANI here, Yadav said that Owaisi is entitled to have an opinion on the matter, adding that the NIA would not have arrested the individuals without suspicion.

"This is a sensitive issue. If people are found to be indulging in anti-national activities and are linked to terrorist organisations, then it is a matter to be probed. He is a local representative, if he thinks it is wrong or right then let the court decide. But these investigative agencies would also not have arrested them without any suspicion. These issues should not be politicised," he said.

Condemning the acts of the extremist Islamic groups such as the ISIS in unequivocal terms, Owaisi had earlier said 'generalising and blaming' the entire Muslim community, especially at times when several suspected terrorists have been arrested by the NIA, was not good.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief had on Friday announced that his party would provide legal aid to five IS suspects arrested from Hyderabad earlier this week by the National Investigation agency.

Backing his party's decision, Owaisi said that the legal system would anyway have offered legal help to the accused and urged the media not to blow the issue out of proportion and be a hindrance in the legal process.

According to reports, Owaisi had earlier decided to support the accused after the family members of the youth met AIMIM chief and claimed that they are innocent. The Hyderabad MP then said he had directed a lawyer to provide the legal help.

On the other hand, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday received 12-day custody of the five accused, who were arrested from Hyderabad over suspicion of having terror links.

The agency had detained 11 people for suspected terror links in raids conducted at several places in Hyderabad on June 29.