MP CM wanted Simi men dead or alive: BJP leader

Madhya Pradesh BJP president Nand Kumar Singh Chouhan has sparked a fresh controversy over the alleged encounter killing of eight Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi) activists on the city outskirts on October 31, by disclosing chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wanted them “dead or alive” after the terror suspects escaped from the Bhopal jail.

“The chief minister (CM) literally turned his official residence a police control room keeping himself updated every moment on the progress made by the search parties to track down the eight Simi activists after they broke out of the Bhopal Central Jail (in the early hours of October 31). He wanted the dreaded fugitives dead or alive,” the state Bharatiya Janata Party president said, while addressing an election meeting at Anupur in Shahdol district on Wednesday.

The BJP leader lambasted the Congress for “politicising” the encounter saying that the eight terror suspects could have posed serious security threat to people by indulging in bomb explosions had they not been neutralised.

“It is regrettable that the Congress is politicising the encounter as part of its vote bank policy. The Opposition party is shockingly not concerned about security of the country and the people,” he said.

The BJP leaders were addressing an election meeting for the ensuing by-polls to Anupur assembly constituency.