Conspiracy being hatched to defame me, says Khader

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader condemned the brutal murder of Deepak Rao in Katiapalla and said that a few miscreants are conspiring to defame him through social media.

Denying any links with the accused in the case, as claimed by a photo that has gone viral in social media, he said that he strongly condemns the murder of Deepak Rao. "The police have done a commendable job by arresting the accused," he said.

"The compensation announced by the state government will not suffice to bear the loss the family has faced. We are all with Deepak's family during this hard time."

Reacting to the photograph of him having lunch with a member of the Target group (a notorious group which is into extortion among other crimes) that went viral, Khader said that what can he do if someone is having food next to him in a function. "Can I ask the person sitting next to me to go away. He (Ilyas) had contested the Youth Congress elections. He had become a member of the Youth Congress by applying online. There is no interference of the MLA or DCC members on the same. I have not recommended him also," Khader said and alleged that a few people are politicising the issue of him having food with others.

Further, he said: "The 'Target' group no longer exists in Ullal. The police and local residents had pulled down the shutter of their office a few months ago and Ilyas had shifted to Katipalla. The allegation against me in connection with the Target group is baseless. "At the time of Zubair's murder in Ullal too, similar allegations were levelled against me. The allegations are only for politicial gains. The people of my constituency have treated me as their own all these years and will not yield for such cheap politics," he said.

The photo gained prominence as Ilyas is a close associate of Pinki Nawaz, the prime accused in the Deepak Rao murder.

On a demand to ban PFI, the minister said "We have been demanding a ban on all those organisations that have been involved in murder and disrupting unrest in the society. Strict action should be initiated by the Central government as such organisations that are engaged in disturbing peace are national-level organisations," the minister said.