Mumbai 26/11

A Whole New Spin

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh created flutters when he claimed Karkare had called him up a few hours before the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and told him about threats from Hindu organisations

It was exactly after two years after the terrorist strikes in Mumbai that controversy surrounding the attack has cropped up- when seasoned Congress leader Digvijay Singh revealed that Mumbai Anti terrorist Squad (ATS) Chief Hemant Karkare was under threats from Hindu organizations.

Karkare was probing the Malegaon blast case in which some Hindu groups were allegedly involved. The bullets from the guns of the militant orchestrating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack led to the death of the police officer.

However, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh created flutters when he claimed Karkare had called him up a few hours before the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and told him about threats from Hindu organisations.

After the political storm Mr. Singh went on to say that he has asked the Ministry of Telecom to provide him details of his conversation with the Maharashtra ATS Chief from the data recovery Centre located at Pune. “I talked to Karkare on my personal BSNL cell phone using the number 9425015461. I do not recollect Karkare’s number. I have sought records from the General Manager of BSNL, Bhopal. However the BSNL office personnel there have informed me that they keep call records for only 12 months.”

Following media reports that call records of Karkare’s cell phone showed that Mr. Singh had neither called the police officer nor received any call from him during that period, Mr. Singh kept sating that he was not lying and stands by what he has stated. He claimed that the ATS Chief had spoken to former Police Commissioner of Mumbai Julio Ribeiro three days before 26/11. Karkare has stated that he is saddened by L.K Advani, Rajnath Singh and other Hindu organization leaders questioning Karkare’s honesty and integrity.

“I want to ask the BJP what right Advani and Rajnath Singh have to put question marks on Karkare’s honesty and integrity. Was this act by a former Home Minister of the country not an attempt to influence the investigations and demoralize Karkare? Show me when I questioned the investigation of 26/11. I am quite happy with the investigation and I never questioned the probe into 26/11. BJP is the master of double speak,” he remarked.

Speculation abounds on whether all this is a political cacophony or honest revelation as Kavita Karkare widow of the deceased ATS Chief remarked, “I want the world to know that Pakistan is behind the attack and not anyone else.”

There are several questions that are being asked as to why Mr. Singh was mum for all these years. Digvijay Singh has replied that he has raised the issue earlier also.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said, “He is only helping Pakistan and Qasab by making such statements. The world knows that Kasab and his companion killed Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. It seems that the Congress just wants to shift public focus from the corruption charges against their leaders, which is why Mr. Singh was directed to make such a baseless comment.”

The BJP spokesperson also questioned why Mr. Singh did not appear before the Ram Pradhan Committee that investigated the 26/11 attacks..

“On the one hand, we have been sending dossiers to Pakistan on the 26/11 attack perpetrators while on the other a senior leader from the ruling party is suggesting that Mr. Karkare was not killed by a Pakistani terrorist. This is nothing but vote bank politics. Mr. Singh’s comments will only suit Kasab, who could call the Congress leader to testify for him in the court,” Javdekar said.

Shiv Sena stated that Mr. Singh should be subjected to a probe. What the two men talked about should be made public.

Opposition parties added that the Congress party seems to be distancing itself from Digvijay Singh’s comment.

Mr. Singh went on to add, “I have a photograph of a public rally in which Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief, Mohan Bhagat is sharing the dais with Swami Asimanand,” the latter was arrested by the CBI in connection with the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast case. Mr. Singh questioned as why Bhagat was sharing the dais with him.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister launched another attack on the BJP during the congress session of the party recently when he accused the saffron party of killing Muslims in the name of nationalism like the Nazis did.

Mr. Singh said that the RSS’ “hatred” for Muslims was comparable to that of the Nazis towards Jews. “Why is it that all Hindus found involved in terror activities are members of RSS?” he questioned.

He thanked Home Minister P Chidambaram for handing over the murder case of Sunil Joshi to NIA. Sunil Joshi was the mastermind behind blasts in minority places. “MP police had closed the case and now the NIA has found that Joshi was killed by his own people because he knew too much,” he said. Mr. Singh said that RSS had infiltrated major institutions like bureaucracy and judiciary but the Malegaon blasts had dangerous portents as two army men were been found involved in it.

The BJP said that the Congress party should force Mr. Singh to resign for the ‘absurd’ remarks on the death of former Maharashtra ATS Chief. The saffron party has also dubbed Mr. Singh a liar. “Knowing Digvijay Singh, I am sure he will not resign on his own (for his comments) and he will not agree to do so soon. So, the Congress should force him to resign. Otherwise, the citizens, who love this country, will never forgive the party,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

The BJP also felt that this is a stunt by Mr. Singh to hog the limelight. “Congress has to apologise to the nation for its General Secretary’s remarks and get him to resign,” he said.

Meanwhile the leader of the opposition in Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta teed off on Mr. Singh and said that he made such comments just before coming to Assam to create communal divide in Assam.