Bhopal encounter: Digvijaya plays communal card, Mayawati asks for judicial probe

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has questioned the encounter of eight SIMI terrorists by the Bhopal police. The prisoners had escaped from the Central Jail after slitting the throat of a head constable Ramashankar Yadav. He said,“Why do only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus.” The opposition has demanded judicial inquiry into the entire episode. However, his comments have not gone down well in BJP with Ravi Shankar Prasad saying-"I need to ask Sonia Gandhi whether or not what Digvijaya Singh is saying is Congress party's line?". Earlier too Mr Singh had raised questions about Batla House encounter and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had to say that it wasn't party's line, he said on Tuesday. The law minister stressed that-"In the matter of nation’s security, people must speak with one voice." Meanwhile, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said-"People are concerned about SIMI terrorists and the religion they belong to but why not about menace they created." "Some people are showing more concern for people who have escaped from jail, who always break law than safety and security of Indians", said Naidu, reported ANI. On Tuesday morning, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived at the residence of Ramashankar Yadav, head constable who was killed in Bhopal jail break, to pay his "last tributes to him". ALSO READ: Bhopal encounter: Some political leaders can't see martyrdom of our jawans, says Shivraj Singh I salute Ramashankar Yadav: CM "I salute Ramashankar Yadav for his bravery", said Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Madhya Pradesh foundation day and added, "Some people are still raising absurd questions and insulting his sacrifice." MUST READ: Terrorists have not only killed a true soldier but also my father, says daughter of slain constable Mayawati for judicial probe into SIMI members' killings:

BSP chief Mayawati demanded a judicial probe into the police "encounter" on the outskirts of Bhopal in which eight SIMI members were killed, on Tuesday.

The ex-Uttar Pradesh CM said the events leading to the escape of the undertrials from the Bhopal Central Jail and the subsequent shootout on Monday had raised many questions. There were contradictory statements emanating from Madhya Pradesh, she said in a statement. While it was being said that the terrorists were unarmed and were apparently trying to talk and surrender, they were still killed, the Bahujan Samaj Party leader said. "Prima facie the matter appears to be very suspicious and only a judicial probe can answer these doubts," she said. She alleged that use of police force for furthering its political agenda was not new to BJP-ruled states and pointed out that attempts to hush up the Vyapam scam showed the Madhya Pradesh Police in poor light. "There are many other incidents in MP which reflect the ideology of the BJP to use police to serve its political ends," she added.