RSS defends Modi in Ishrat encounter case

Defending the Gujarat government in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has accused the Congress of portraying Chief Minister Narendra Modi as anti-Muslim for cheating the minorities.

"The easiest way for seculars to show their so-called Muslim love is to present Narendra Modi in a bad light ... but Congress got entangled in the affidavit filed by its government while trying to take advantage of judicial probe report," RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya said in its editorial.

The editorial also defended the Modi government saying the state government acted on inputs provided by intelligence agencies. According to the journal, the Union Home Ministry had termed the encounter as correct in its affidavit

before the high court. "The Home Secretary is also terming the affidavit as correct saying that it was filed based on secret reports," it said. It also questioned the way the judicial report was made public.

"It is natural that questions will be raised on how magistrate SP Tamang carried out such a detailed investigation in 25 days to find out the encounter was fake and those killed were not linked to LeT," it said. The editorial said the Gujarat High Court has also questioned the way the report was made public. "Why was a report on such a sensitive matter not handed over to the Special Investigation Team and instead made public," it said and attacking the "seculars", it said "for how long will they keeping cheating minorities by projecting Modi as anti-Muslim."