BJP, Owaisi responsible for fuelling extremism: Digvijay

Congress leader Digvijay Singh launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for trying to protect those who had been accused of terrorist activities.

Speaking to ANI here, Singh said that one hand the saffron party is hell bent on saving the Malegaon blast accused, and on the other Owaisi is attempting to protect those caught by the NIA in alleged terror cases.

"Just the way BJP is hell bent on protecting Malegaon blast accused, Owaisi is trying to save Muslims youths who have been caught. I do not know if they are guilty or not, but to try to save them shows that BJP is trying to protect Hindu bomb blast accused and Owaisi is trying to save those whom NIA has caught with evidence," he told ANI.

AIMIM 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.