VHP's PIL against Shinde's terror remark dismissed

New Delhi: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday rejected a PIL by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad against Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Dilip Gupta dismissed in limine the PIL which had sought to make Shinde, the Cabinet Secretary and the Union Home Secretary respondents.

Significantly, the Home Secretary had, barely a few days after Shinde accused BJP and RSS of running training camps for terrorists, stated that there was "evidence" to suggest that a number of terror accused in the country had links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The statements have caused much consternation among the Sangh Parivar outfits, including the BJP which is the main opposition party.

In the PIL, it had been alleged that the January 20 statement of the Union Home Minister was "scandalous", "provocative", "against the soul of the Constitution" and had "adversely affected national harmony and social structure, putting national security and sovereignty in danger".

The PIL had prayed for issuing directions to the Centre to frame rules with regard to issuing statements besides demanding an "independent judicial inquiry into the truth of the statement". However, Additional Solicitor General of India KC Kaushik, appearing on behalf of the Centre, contended that the PIL was "misconceived" and liable to be "dismissed as not maintainable".