Author: Times News Network
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 15, 2006
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1754457.cms
Has governor T V Rajeswar's strongly-worded
memo prompted chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to beat a hasty retreat on
his controversial stand on SIMI? The receipt of the governor's letter at the
fifth floor office of the CM and Yadav's backtracking in Muzaffarnagar on
Friday were both sweetly timed.
Mulayam told reporters at Sukhartal near Muzaffarnagar
that "the statement (on giving clean chit to Simi) appearing in a section
of media is mischievous. I have not given any statement."
Rajeswar on Friday questioned the state government's
move to withdraw criminal cases against members of the SIMI registered in
2001. He also sought explanation from Mulayam for giving a clean chit to SIMI.
Confirming that the letter from the Raj Bhavan
has been received, sources in the fifth floor said that the governor had taken
cognisance of reports published in newspapers about the state government's
move to go soft on SIMI.
He has sought to know from the CM whether
criminal cases against SIMI members had been either withdrawn or such a move
was under active consideration.
In case the state government is contemplating
to withdraw cases, Rajeswar has asked the chief minister to "think''
before withdrawing cases.
The letter also seeks to know the basis on
which the CM had given a clean chit to SIMI. Sources confirmed that criminal
cases registered against SIMI national president Sahid Badr Falahi in Bahraich
was withdrawn on the recommendation of the law department in September, 2005.
With regards to recommendation made by Samajwadi
Party legislator Surendra Mohan Agarwal for withdrawing criminal cases against
Mohammad Amir, registered in Kanpur, a home department official said, "There
is no move to withdraw cases against Amir."
