Attempts to communalise SIMI incident against national

Information and Broadcasting Minister claimed that it has become a 'fashion' for some people to question security forces

Hitting out at those criticising the killing of eight SIMI men in an alleged encounter, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said that some people and parties were trying to politicise and communalise the issue dealing with the security of the country.

"I am at loss to understand why some people are more concerned about terrorists. Some people are concerned about SIMI, some are concerned about people who have escaped from jail.

"These people (opposition) are showing more concern towards people who break law, rather than showing concern about the safety and security of India," Naidu said.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister claimed that it has become a "fashion" for some people to question the security forces.

"What is communal? Four-five days back on Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border about 28 to 29 Maoists were killed, no body talked about their community or religion.

"Suddenly in this case (Bhopal) the religion has come. This is all cheap politics. I appeal to all to avoid politics take care of security and safety of the country," Naidu said.

Claiming that it was nothing but "dirty politics", he said that it being a matter concerning the safety and security, nobody should try to politicise it.

"It is unfortunate some parties and some people are trying to communalise it also. Terror has no religion. A terrorist is a terrorist," Naidu said.

Asserting that the police have done there duty and to try to politicise and communalise it is against national interest, Naidu said that such actions could have a demoralising effect on the forces protecting the country.

Some people were even devising such arguments with regard to Kashmir, he said.

The eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail there killing a security guard.

In response to another question about the Real Estate Regulation legislation, Naidu said that the government was trying to make it as consumer friendly as possible.