Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya has sought the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the recent encounter killing of two suspected SIMI activists in Nalconda district of Telangana.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Dattatreya said Hyderabad is a place known for nurturing militant activities by banned outfits.
He wanted the Intelligence Bureau to probe the matter as this incident points to involvement of “nationally banned militant outfit SIMI” whose activists are present in various states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
On Tuesday five persons, including founder of local militant group Viqaruddin Ahmed, were also killed in Telangana’s Warangal.
He also claimed that Telangana is “known to be the target” over the years for nationally and internationally banned outfits, who are known to create terror to gain national and international attention.
“I also bring to your kind notice that Hyderabad had been a place known for nurturing militant activities by the banned militant outfits and has been the shelter zone for many sympathisers of such banned outfits. Hence, it is all the more necessary to take up an in-depth investigation into the recent incident and its repercussions,” he said in the letter.
The minister, who belongs to Telangana, said the encounter was “highly disturbing” as it has national repercussion. However, activists did not buy Dattatreya’s argument and said the encounters in Telangana had shown that it has become a police state.
The minister said the incident involving two SIMI activists from Madhya Pradesh points to growing breach in law and order situations.