Narendra Modi slams Sushilkumar Shinde's advisory on release of minority youth

Slamming union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's advisory to the states to release wrongfully detained "minority youth", BJP leader Narendra Modi Wednesday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in the matter.

Modi, who is also the chief minister of Gujarat, in a comment on Twitter Wednesday, said he has written to the prime minister about this advisory.

"Wrote letter to prime minister on the home minister's repeated statements on wrongful arrest of youngsters from particular communities. Home minister's suggestion marks an unprecedented low for our country," Modi said Wednesday.

"PM should intervene and take necessary action," he said.

In a letter that has become controversial, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Friday asked all state chief ministers to be "careful" while arresting members from minorities. The home minister wrote to state chief ministers on detention procedures and asked them to form a panel to review cases of people jailed without trial.

Modi, however, said: "Thankfully, our criminal justice system has never taken into account faith or religion of an accused. Why bring vote bank politics even here?"

Modi said the minority communities "can see through these brazen and callous attempts" of the home minister, and sought to know why are such statements being made now.

"It's clear that this is an attempt by the HM (home minister) to tinker with the criminal justice system of the nation in violation of the laws of our land. A crime is a crime, irrespective of birth marks of the criminal. Religious beliefs can't determine guilt or innocence," Modi said.