Malegaon blast: CPI wants PM's explanation on Salian's claims

CPI today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should explain his stand on the "alarming revelation" made by Rohini Salian that she was asked to go "soft" in Malegaon blast case as special public prosecutor and sought to know the identity of the "higher up".
Expressing concerns over the NIA allegedly "interfering" in legal process, CPI claimed that unless there is word from "higher-ups", an officer from the agency will not dare to tell the prosecutor, Salian, to go slow with the case.
The party also accused the Centre of using NIA to protect "terrorists".
"It is quite an alarming revelation. Unless there is a word from higher up, the NIA person could not have got the courage to tell Salian to go slow in order to help the accused. So, who is that higher-up if not the Home Minister and Prime Minister? And they must be squarely held responsible for such a gross interference in the legal process.

"Modi should apologise. He owes an explanation to the people and country. And he should explain how come NIA is allowed to be misused," CPI National Secretary D Raja told PTI.
Raja alleged that sangh parivar and affiliated outfits have become aggressive ever since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister and the BJP came to power. He claimed the outfits dictate "what the Government should do and should not".
Salian today alleged that the NIA had asked her to "go soft" in the case after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May last year.
12 persons, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, were arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast case. Of these, four are on bail.