Mumbai, Jan 9 (PTI) BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Thursday asked whether Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh was pressurising police officials who are conducting inquriy into a `Free Kashmir' poster displayed at a recent protest.

He also objected to Deshmukh's statement that the probe into judge B H Loya's death could be reopened if necessary.

The BJP had targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led government over a poster saying "Free Kashmir" held up by a woman during a protest against the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University at the Gateway of India here.

Shelar, former school education minister, said, "There was undisputed direct evidence about the Free Kashmir poster. Why did home minister Deshmukh make a statement that he does not find the issue serious?

"Is he trying to pressurise police over the outcome of their probe into the matter?" Shelar asked, alleging that the whole demonstration was supported by the state government.

The BJP leader also took exception to the state home minister's comments about the alleged suspicious death of judge B H Loya, who had handled the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case.

Deshmukh had said that if necessary, the probe into Loya's death can be reopened.

"The Supreme Court has already discarded a plea requesting judicial probe into the matter.

"Despite that, when state home minister talks of reopening the case, I want to ask whether this government would abide by the law," Shelar said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)