Did BJP Expose Congress's 'VVIP Treatment' for IS Recruiter in Bengaluru Jail?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BJP criticizes Congress for national security lapses.
- Video shows alleged IS recruiter enjoying jail privileges.
- Contrast drawn between NDA and UPA approaches to terrorism.
- Public safety remains a critical concern in political discourse.
New Delhi, Nov 10 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a fierce critique of the Congress government in Karnataka following the emergence of a video that allegedly shows IS recruiter Jihad Hameed Shakeel Manna using a mobile phone and watching television within the confines of Bengaluru Central Jail.
This viral video, circulating widely on social media, depicts Manna -- who is accused of enlisting youth for the Islamic State -- enjoying amenities that are typically forbidden for prisoners detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that the Congress government has jeopardized national security by allowing a terror suspect such privileges.
“Instead of implementing strict supervision, the Congress government has provided a mobile phone to an IS recruiter,” Poonawalla stated during a press briefing at the BJP headquarters.
“This clearly indicates the Congress’s leniency towards Islamic jihadi terrorism. Under the NDA, terrorists are effectively dealt with; under Congress, they receive mobile phones and celebrations.”
Contrasting the current PM Modi government with the previous UPA regime, Poonawalla referenced Yasin Malik, a Jammu and Kashmir separatist.
“Yasin Malik, now recognized as a convicted terrorist under the NDA government, was treated like a VVIP and even photographed with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the Congress administration,” he noted.
He further remarked that while the BJP government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has upheld a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism -- dismantling significant Islamic terror plots from Jammu and Kashmir to Faridabad -- the Congress-led Karnataka government is “providing luxurious treatment to a jihadi terrorist.”
“This incident starkly illustrates the dichotomy between the two ideologies,” Poonawalla added.
“While the NDA is devoted to safeguarding citizens and thwarting terrorism before it arises, the Congress continues to coddle those who endanger India’s security,” he stated.