BJP seeks cleric's arrest for defending blast accused

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Varanasi: BJP leaders have demanded immediate arrest of Shahi Imam Bukhari for "attempts to defend the mastermind of the Ahmedabad and other serial blasts Abdul Bashar" and congratulated Delhi police for the crackdown on terror suspects.

“Bukhari visited Azamgarh and held a meeting in favour of the Ahmedabad blast mastermind Abdul Basar, who was arrested by Gujarat police," BJP leaders, including former finance minister Harishchandra Srivastava, divisional party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, MLAs Ajay Rai, Shyamdeo Raichaudhary and Jyotsna Srivastava, MLCs Ashok Dhwan and Udai Nath Singh, said in a joint press release.

They demanded immediate arrest of Bukhari for his action.

It was due to the information provided by Abdul Bashar that the Delhi police succeeded in cracking the serial blasts case in Delhi, the statement said.

They also criticised Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party leaders who also visited Azamgarh "to defend" Bashar.

"Such sympathy of these parties had encouraged the anti-nationals and demoralised the police force," the statement said and praised Gujarat and Rajasthan police for their quick response in helping security agencies to bust the terrorist network in the country.

"But for the BJP government in the two states, it would not have been possible to send the terrorists to the jail," it said.

BJP also congratulated the Delhi police for their crackdown on terrorists leading to the death of two reportedly involved in the serial blasts in the national capital.

Paying homage to the slain Delhi Police Inspector, M C Sharma, the leaders said his sacrifices and fight against terrorism would not go in vain.

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