Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi
on Saturday stirred up another controversy by meeting the family of
a suspect in the ONGC terror plot case on "humanitarian
grounds" and said he was ready to face any inquiry by police.
"I met the family of Riyaz Ali on humanitarian
grounds, after a request from my party corporator in suburban
Bandra," Azmi told reporters.
"I am a people's representative and there is nothing
wrong in meeting families."
Declining to comment when asked if he thought Riyaz
Ali is innocent, Azmi said he is ready to face any inquiry by
police.
A suspected Pakistan-linked terror plot was foiled
with police on March 13 arresting Mumbai residents Abdul Latif
alias Guddu (29) and Riyaz Ali alias Rehan (23) who were
planning to attack three targets including ONGC headquarters.
Defending his meeting with Riyaz's family, Azmi said
"After the arrest of Malegaon blast accused sadhvi Pragya
Singh Thakur and Colonel S P Purohit, BJP leader L K Advani
met the prime minister on the issue."
Shiv Sena had also organised protests to admit the
sadhvi in hospital while she was under arrest, Azmi said.
"Why is only my image being maligned in media," he
asked.
On state Home Minister R R Patil's remarks that he
will probe Azmi's intention behind meeting Shahzad, arrested
in 2008 Delhi blast case and the Batla House encounter, Azmi
said "I have neither seen nor met Shahzad. However, I knew his
father and met him 20 years back in Saudi Arabia."
Indicating involvement of Hindu organisations in the
Pune German Bakery blast, Azmi said there is a possibility
that the organisations behind Malegaon, Nanded, Thane and Navi
Mumbai blasts are also behind the Pune blast.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 18:57