"I never accused demonstrators in the rallies of committing acts of treason," the Police chief said when attending a morning breakfast with the executives of the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in Jakarta on Sunday morning.
Tito Karnavian said the National Police (Plori) suspected certain groups of intruders who have their own agenda during the November 4 rallies.
The intruders brought their own agenda other than demand for legal process against Ahok who was accused on religious blasphemy. Their agenda is to oust the legitimate president and to establish a khilafah state.
Even, he said, it was suspected that there were groups who wanted to create terror and chaos. Therefore, the police prepared the Densus-88 antiterror squad to anticipate undesired incidents.
Tito said the matter had been communicated to the rally leaders, including Habib Rizieq Shihab.
He denied the opinion that he rejected to provide permit for Muslims who want to stage a demonstration on December 2, 2016. But he asked that the rallies would not be held on main streets that could disturb the interest of other people.
Chairman of the Central Executive Board (PB) of NU, Said Aqil Siroj, said the Indonesian people are facing many issues which look true in the surface but in essence they are not.
Many make statements which look true but they actually have ill intention. "There are a lot of people who claim they are Muslims but we could adversely see symptoms of differences between names (claim) and deeds. Symbol is important but any cause which is only symbolic in nature is misleading," he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
