Bitta defends MP police, govt over alleged encounter

Defending the MP government over the alleged encounter of 8 SIMI activists, Chairman of All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) Maninderjeet Singh Bitta today said he salutes Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the state police for "killing terrorists".
"After I came to Madhya Pradesh I met Chief Minister Chouhan for the first time. I saluted Chouhan and MP police for killing the terrorists," Bitta, the former youth Congress leader, told reporters.
Eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged police encounter on the city outskirts when they escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail after killing a security guard.
"I told the Chief Minister not to give statement that an inquiry will be conducted into the encounter," he added.

"Jailbreak and lapses (leading to the escape of SIMI activist), should be probed but the fight (encounter) against the SIMI terrorists should not be investigated," he said.
"These slain terrorists were involved in bomb blasts, robbery and other heinous crimes in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and other states," Bitta claimed.

"After these terrorists escaped from the central jail killing a constable, the life of public was at danger. If they would have been left at large, they might have killed many innocent people," he added.
"Votebank politics should stop over terrorism," he said.
"He (Digvijay Singh) had made attempt to withdraw my security when Congress was in power (at the Centre)," Bitta alleged.

"I have been defeated by Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh and not by bombs," he added.
To a query, Bitta claimed that UPA II lost elections due to jargons like "Bhagwa" (saffron) and "Hindu terrorism" which were coined by Digvijay. "I have been defeated by political terrorism and I'm a victim of it," he added.
Later, Bitta went to the residence of slain jail head constable Ramashanker Yadav and met his family members.
Bitta assured Yadav's daughter Sonia (24) of all help in getting a government job and vocational training and said he will attend her wedding on December 9.

Yadav's sons Shambhunath (36) and Prabhunath (32) are jawans in the Army posted at Guwahati and Hissar respectively.
Bitta assured the family that he will help them get one of the sons posted in Bhopal.
"The martyr's (the head constable killed) family is in profound grief. They are more sorrowful over the politics being played out over his death," Bitta said.
He stressed that for quick disposal of cases related to terrorism, fast track courts should be formed. In such courts, cases should be disposed of by awarding capital punishment or life imprisonment, he added.