Rehman arrested to defame Odisha, BJD, says brother

Bhubaneswar: Terming the charges of terrorism levelled against his brother Abdur Rehman as 'false', his brother Tahir Ali Khan has said the move is aimed at defaming Odisha and the ruling BJD.

“My brother was arrested on false charges. He is not involved in any crime as said by the police,” said Khan, who is a local leader of the ruling party.

“The arrest is an attack on the ruling party. It’s a plan to defame the ruling party and Odisha and an attempt to disturb peace and communal harmony in Odisha," he said.

“My brother has nothing to do with Delhi. He was picked by police at around 2 am on Wednesday,” he added.

Admitting that he works for the BJD at the local level, Ali Khan said; “This arrest is an act of jealousy since my brother is a learned person and can explain the religion well.”

"I have no doubt whatsoever that he would come out unscathed and clean, just as I was after my arrest in 2001," said the man who himself was arrested in 2001 in connection with a terror attack on the American consulate in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satpathy said, "A person, who is a supporter of a terrorist organization, cannot be part of any political party. He is making statements to protect himself. Besides, he is not a prominent leader of BJD and we have no information about him."