Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh came calling on this hamlet of Sanjarpur, 25 km west of Azamgarh that has come to be known as a “nursery of terrorism” on Wednesday, holding out hope for the families of terror suspects.
Nine suspects in the 2008 Delhi blasts belong to this village. Families of eight other terror suspects from neighbouring areas too gathered at this village to talk to the Congress leader about their hardships.
Singh, in charge of Uttar Pradesh, assured them that the innocent would be set free early. Investigations by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), clubbing of all cases and speedy trials would be done deliver justice, he said.
In a move to reach out to the minorities, the Congress leader was on a fact-finding mission. “Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi have sent us here to meet you. I will meet Union Minister P. Chadambaram to apprise him of the facts,” he told the villagers.
Singh, accompanied by Rita Bahuguna Joshi, the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress, spent two hours at the residence of Sadab Ahmad, the father of Mohammad Saif, who has been arrested for alleged involvement in the blasts.
{{/usCountry}}Singh, accompanied by Rita Bahuguna Joshi, the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress, spent two hours at the residence of Sadab Ahmad, the father of Mohammad Saif, who has been arrested for alleged involvement in the blasts.
{{/usCountry}}“Singh assured us that the innocent youths will be freed in the next three months,” said Tahrunnisa (70), the grandmother of Mohammad Saif.
Members of the Ulema Council waved black flags at the Congress delegation.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad outfits, too, flayed Singh for visiting families of terror suspects and demanded his arrest.