Alappuzha (Kerala): Gopinath Pillai, a Narendra Modi critic and father of Gujarat encounter victim Javed Shaikh, has been removed as treasurer of the Nair community outfit NSS's local unit for allegedly making adverse comments against the BJP's prime ministerial candidate at a meeting recently.
Pillai, who had alleged that his son Pranesh Kumar alias Javed Shaikh was shot dead by Gujarat police in a fake encounter near Ahemadabad in 2004, was removed as treasurer of Kotakkattussery NSS village unit on charge of making “anti-Hindu” references at a seminar, organised by the Peoples Democratic Party, held last month.
The decision to remove from the post was taken at the local unit meeting held yesterday, Pillai said. Pillai, however, denied that he had made any adverse references against Hinduism and said he had only made certain critical remarks about the claim of Modi over the so-called “Gujarat model” of development.
“I never made any anti-Hindu remark. I am proud to be a Hindu.I am not responsible for conversion of my son (Pranesh) to Islam. Anti-Modi comments are not a disqualification for taking action against me (by the NSS),” Pillai said.
Pranesh, who converted to Islam while he was working in Pune, was found dead along with three persons including a woman Ishrat Jahan on June 15, 2004.
Police claimed that they had plotted to kill Modi and they died in an encounter when police resisted them from proceeding to Ahmedabad to carry out their plan.
Pillai had challenged the police's claim in court holding that his son was victim of a fake encounter.
