BJP backs Vijay in Shehla murder case

Coming out strongly in support of its Member of Parliament Tarun Vijay, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday warned against any attempt to derive political mileage from RTI activist Shehla Masood murder case in Madhya Pradesh.

"I think it is an absolute trash. If anyone has an association or friendship or has been supporting a cause, it does not mean he is involved. Tarun Vijay has been a journalist and he has been espousing many causes. It is a sad incident which happened. The investigations are on," BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in New Delhi.

He stressed that the decision of the police to quiz the MP was "not an embarrassment" to the party, noting that it was wrong to level allegations against any member of Parliament who may be questioned by investigators in the murder case.

"It is not an embarrassment. It is more of a political situation which has been created. They are very honourable and dignified. We know their background, their standing in public," he said.

Madhya Pradesh BJP President Prabhat Jha said, "No one should try to use the incident as a weapon for deriving political mileage out of the issue. It is a murder incident and the murderer should be caught."

Jha said that Madhya Pradesh government has asked for a

CBI probe into the matter.

"The culprits should not be spared and the innocent should not be punished," said Jha, adding that "anyone could be close to anyone and have relations, but that should not be construed wrongly".

Masood was shot at when she was in her car in front of her residence in the posh Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal on

August 16 when she was just about to head to a rally that was part of Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption.

Rudy also said, "It is absolutely wrong to attribute charges.... I am sure if there is any information which would help them to get to the core of the crime and the criminal that would assist them."