Shiv Sena says security threat to PM Modi a conspiracy theory, rubbishes claims by cops on activists` arrest

A government is brought down by the people of this country not by Maoists or Naxalites, says Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government and the Maharashtra Police for recent arrest of activists over alleged links with Maoists. Terming the claims of a security threat to Prime Minister Modi as a “conspiracy theory”, the NDA constituent dubbed the action by Maharashtra Police as “stupid”.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said, “The government should stop stating that these so called Maoists could potentially topple the sitting government at the Centre. This is a stupid statement. Manmohan Singh's (Congress-led UPA) government was brought down by the people of this country not by Maoists or Naxalites. In recent times, governing parties were changed through democratic process alone.”

Cautioning that Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might be ridiculed because of the claims of the police, the editorial in Saamana said, "Another conspiracy theory of the police is about threat to the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His security is of very high standard and there is nothing to worry about."

This comes just days after the families of activists, arrested for alleged Naxal links, had dismissed the evidence produced by the police, calling them “fabricated”.

The Bombay High Court also pulled up the Maharashtra Police on Monday for holding a press conference over the raids and arrests made in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence, which is sub-judice.

In a press conference held on Friday, August 31, Maharashtra Police ADG PB Singh said that the evidence collected established the link between arrested activists with Maoist organisations and Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The Maharashtra Police had last week arrested five activists – Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Gautam Navalakha and Arun Ferreira for their alleged links with Maoists in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case.

The police have claimed they have "conclusive proof" to link Left-wing activists arrested in June and last week to Maoists, saying one of them spoke of a "Rajiv Gandhi-type event to end Modi-raj". The threat allegedly figured in an email exchanged between Rona Wilson, an activist arrested in June, and a Maoist leader.

(With PTI Inputs)