BJP, RSS leaders meet NIA officials over recent arrests

Senior leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from Madhya Pradesh met officials in Indore following the arrest of a few people, allegedly linked with the Sangh, in Malwa region.

Leading the delegation, BJP Member of Parliament Sumitra Mahajan, along with local Members of Legislative Assembly and RSS leaders, went to the Officers' Mess of Police on Sunday night to meet the NIA officials, party sources said on Monday.

"NIA was told that they should not arrest people without any warrant, nor blame any organisation or political party while conducting searches or arrest unless it has got any substance of evidence," city BJP president Shankar Lalwani said.

"Mahajan asked them whether the NIA was working or acting without any law of land. NIA sleuths had searched houses in villages of Malwa region covering Indore, Dewas, Khandwa and Ujjain districts without any prior notice, and it may lead to tension," said Lalwani.

NIA officers could not be contacted for comments.

During a personal visit on Sunday, BJP vice president Kalraj Mishra also condemned the NIA for "framing Hindus" in blast cases.

"The NIA has no solid proof against those who have been arrested in blast cases. Pakistan and other countries are taking advantage of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's statement in which he talked of saffron terror. The Centre is misusing NIA and CBI," he alleged.

NIA had recently arrested some people from Madhya Pradesh in connection with the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast and the Malegaon bomb blast cases.