Pawar says ATS ‘terrorising’ Muslim youths; BJP, AIMIM resent

Mumbai, Aug 30 (PTI) NCP supremo Sharad Pawar todayaccused Maharashtra ATS of "terrorising" Muslim youths on"mere suspicion" and detaining them illegally, sparkingcriticism from BJP and AIMIM that he is taking "opportunisticstance" for political gains. Addressing a press meet here, Pawar said a delegation ofvarious Muslim outfits met him recently and aired theirconcern over the youths from the community being "terrorised"on mere suspicion of having links with ISIS and other bannedorganisations. "A 28-member delegation representing various Muslimorganisations met me recently and complained that the ATS isterrorising Muslim youths in the name of ISIS and other bannedorganisations. This delegation strongly condemned ISIS andsaid the youths of their community would never support theiractivities," Pawar said. He claimed that there have been several instances,especially in Marathwada region, where youths had been pickedup by the Anti-Terrorism Squad(ATS) on grounds of suspicionand detained "illegally." "According to the law, an arrested person has to bepresented before a magistrate within 24 hours. But there havebeen cases where even after 120 hours the detained persons arekept in some isolated location and not let out. Thegovernment needs to take serious cognisance of this," theformer Maharashtra chief minister said. The arrested should be immediately produced before amagistrate, there should be an immediate chargesheet and theyshould be tried in a fast track court, he said. "A criminal has no caste or creed. A particularcommunity should not be labelled (as criminal)," he said. Reacting to Pawar’s statement, BJP spokesperson MadhavBhandari said the NCP leader has often played "communal andcasteist politics" and has "no moral right to give sermon." Waris Pathan, AIMIM MLA, said Pawar was suffering from"selective amnesia" and sought to know what he had done toprotect innocent Muslims implicated in cases when he was inpower in the state.More.PTI MM NMGSN