AIMIM terrorist party, says minister Rane after corporator booked for sheltering TCS case accused

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Friday dubbed the All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen as a terrorist organisation after a corporator of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party was booked for allegedly sheltering a key accused in the Nashik TCS sexual harassment-forced conversion case.

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Friday dubbed the All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen as a ''terrorist organisation'' after a corporator of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party was booked for allegedly sheltering a key accused in the Nashik TCS sexual harassment-forced conversion case. After Nida Khan, an accused in the TCS case, was held from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, police said AIMIM corporator Matin Patel had harboured her and her kin for the past few days. He was named as an accused in the case for allegedly providing shelter to Khan who was apprehended from Naregaon area. ''The AIMIM is a terrorist organisation and not a political party,'' Rane said while equating the party with Pakistan spy agency ISI and the proscribed Popular Front of India. Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar earlier in the day, senior AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel said he will talk to his party office-bearers and police about the alleged involvement of Patel in hiding Nida Khan and her relatives. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT major TCS' Nashik unit. It had arrested eight persons, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt at forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit came to light.