Pro-Pak slogan row: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje demands NIA probe

Bengaluru: Union Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje has demanded NIA probe into the allegations of raising pro-Pakistan slogans in Karnataka legislature premises.

She said on Wednesday that she will write a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard.

Speaking to reporters in Udupi, the Union Minister said,"How can police allow those with the mindset of shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans to be let inside the premises? Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain must be subjected to investigation. There is a possibility of big controversy behind this.

"The Congress is talking about dividing the country. The power is not permanent to any government. There is a systematic effort to create confusion in the country. The truth will come out if the NIA probes the incident.

"The police should find out the forces behind this development. “I have requested the police chief of Karnataka to arrest the accused,” she stated.

Syed Naseer Hussain, however, has offered clarification on the issue. He said that some of his supporters celebrated the victory of three candidates, of which he was one of them, He said slogans such as ‘Naseer saab Zindabad, Congress party Zindabad’ were raised. But, all of a sudden when he was leaving for home he got a call from the media about the raising pro-Pakistan slogans.

“I would like to say, when I was there and in the midst of people, I never heard the slogan 'Pakistan Zindabad' there. We already asked the police and let them investigate it. If someone has raised such a slogan he should be dealt with sternly and strictly as per law.

"If someone has morphed and played the video, even that has to be inquired. Even if someone has raised the slogan, who is he, from where did he come and enter the premises, what was his intention ..everything should be probed.

“When I was there, the slogan was never shouted, if the slogan was raised in my presence, no sane person or Indian citizen could have tolerated it. Let us wait for the inquiry and whatever comes out will be in the public domain,” he said.