Azmi denies links with ISI

Azmi denies links with ISI
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 17: City unit chief of Samajwadi Party Aabu Asim Azmi today denied that he had any links with Pakistan's ISI agents and alleged that there was a serious threat to his life from a `group' which was being constantly provoked by the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra.

Referring to allegations made by Opposition leaders, Nitin Gadkari and Narayan Rane that Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had been meeting several bomb blast accused having ISI links, including Azmi, at his residence, Azmi said ``the statements are completely false and baseless''.

``The leaders seem to be unaware of the fact that I had been discharged by the apex court in the bomb blast case'', he told reporters today.

Alleging that Sena had been provoking a group of people to target those who had been involved in the blast case, the Samajwadi Party leader said that he had been receiving several threatning calls in the past few days.

``Some self-proclaimed patriots had been instigating people to eliminate those who were anti-national and by linking my name to the ISI agents they hope to eliminate me'', he alleged.

Denying any links with ISI agents, he blamed the Sena for launching a campaign against him. The court had even found certain charges against me of ``waging a war against the country'' as not applicable, he added.

Describing Rane's allegation of Azmi having trained 27 persons in Dubai, as `false and baseless', Azmi pointed out that Justice Hansaria had discharged him of the allegations.

A notice regarding initiating legal proceedings against the irresponsible statments had already been issued to Rane yesterday, he said.

``Several persons who had been released on bail had become the targets of attacks of the underworld and hence we have met several government officials demanding security cover to those appearing in the bomb blast case'', Azmi said.

``This has falsely been interpreted as they being connected with ISI'', he said adding that the trial court had already dropped the charge of involvement of ISI and that the bomb blast was not linked to the ISI but only a retaliation of the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.

According to Azmi, the bomb blast accused had also approached the previous government regarding the security cover, ``but no one raised any objections to the issue then''. He also pointed out to the efforts made by Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to get cine actor Sanjay Dutt out on bail.

Azmi also alleged that his passport had been confiscated and the case had an adverse effect on his textile export to Dubai and Jeddah.

He further lamented that the present government had denied justice to the minority community by failing to implement the Srikrishna Commisiion report.

SP, a constituent of the ruling Democratic Front in the state, did not have a major say in government decision due to its limited presence, Azmi added.