Did Maoists...

He got the backing of Union social justice minister and Dalit leader Ramdas Athawale who said the Parishad had “no Naxal” connection.

Defence counsel Tosif C Shaikh, who appeared for two of the five suspects, said case against arrested persons is fabricated. “The police by selectively leaking letters are trying to create a fabricated case against the five persons.”

Both the Congress and the BJP sought an investigation into the matter while home minister Rajnath Singh said the government was serious about the PM’S security and that the Maoists were fighting a losing battle.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the reported plot to kill Modi as “disturbing” and expressed hope that a prompt investigation would expose the conspiracy.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “Terrorism, Naxalism and extremism are unacceptable…a fair investigation, bereft of politics, is the need of the hour”.

At an event in Mumbai, Fadnavis said that the police has came across an internal communication from a frontal “Naxal commander” to someone else talking about a module on the lines of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination to eliminate Modi. “This communication is being investigated and it will be submitted at the right time in the court,’’ said Fadnavis. On Friday, Maharashtra strengthened the security of Fadnavis after his office received two anonymous letters last month threatening the CM and his family with reference to a recent encounter in Gadchiroli in which 39 alleged Maoists were killed by a joint team of security forces comprising C60 commandos and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The two letters were received on May 13 and May 18. “While one letter is from Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee, the other is from Communist Party of India (Maoist) Dandkaranya special zone committee. Both were handed over to senior police officials by the CMO,” said an official from the chief minister’s office.

LAW MINISTER RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD TERMED THE REPORTED PLOT TO KILL MODI AS “DISTURBING” AND EXPRESSED HOPE THAT A PROMPT PROBE WOULD EXPOSE THE CONSPIRACY