Viewpoint: Reviving Hindu terror bogey exposes Congress mindset
The Congress was linked to terrorists in the past, has links with them even today, will likely continue to do so in the future as well, says Prem Shukla
FollowIn the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, opposition Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has once again brought the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack into the spotlight. The Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayiba carried out a horrific terrorist attack on Mumbai via the sea route. In this attack, approximately 168 innocent civilians lost their lives at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Hotel, Trident Hotel, and Nariman House. This attack, which lasted for a total of 59 hours, stained India's dignity in the eyes of the world. The command centre of the terrorist organization during this attack was located in Karachi, Pakistan.
Intelligence agencies from around the world witnessed the naked dance of terrorism unfolding from the Karachi command centre. During this attack in Mumbai, Air Force officials had proposed an airstrike at the command centre of the terrorist organization before then-Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, to demonstrate their capability and teach a lesson to the terrorists. However, Dr Manmohan Singh did not approve of this airstrike. This claim was made by the then Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major. The then US President Barack Obama also confirmed it.
Despite all the evidence pointing to Pakistan-sponsored jihadist organizations as responsible for the attack, INC leader Digvijay Singh who wields influence in the former Congress government and is considered a political mentor to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, attempted to portray the 26/11 attacks as Hindu terrorism by releasing a book titled '26/11 RSS ki Saazish' written by Urdu journalist Aziz Burney.
Similarly, former IPS officer SM Mushrif, who was close to the previous government, also wrote a book titled 'Who Killed Karkare?' In this book, an attempt was made to pin the blame for the entire conspiracy on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
When Vijay Wadettiwar faced criticism for his statement, he referred to Mushrif's book. Once again, there was an attempt by the Congress to shift the focus towards Hindu terrorism. A Congress leader claimed that during the 26/11 attacks, instead of being killed by Ajmal Kasab's bullets, Hemant Karkare was killed by bullets from a police officer affiliated with the RSS.
In his claim, Vijay Wadettiwar also alleged that the real culprit was saved, and the entire case was fabricated to blame Ajmal Kasab. He stated that advocate Ujjwal Nikam was responsible for blaming Kasab. Nikam was a government lawyer in the 26/11 case. These days, he is a Lok Sabha candidate from North Mumbai for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress leaders have labelled Ujjwal Nikam as a traitor. This is not the first time that the Congress and its leaders have stood against nationalist officers, prosecutors, and judges. In the Mumbai serial bomb blast case of March 12, 1993, former Special TADA Court Judge JN Patel also faced allegations. Nikam was also the government prosecutor in that case.
It's important to talk about the angle of Hindu terrorism in the 26/11 attacks repeatedly. When Aziz Burney and SM Mushrif accused Hindu terrorism, people didn't believe it much. But later, when the FBI arrested two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists, David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana, the truth came out.
Headley admitted in a Chicago court that he planned the 26/11 attacks and had visited Mumbai before. He befriended Rahul Bhatt, the son of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and a close aide to Sonia Gandhi. They surveyed places like Siddhivinayak Temple, Shiv Sena Bhawan, Hotel Taj, Hotel Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and Nariman House. He even bought items from Siddhivinayak Temple.
Headley made fake Hindu identity cards for the attackers to frame Hindu organizations. Their goal was to make it seem like Hindu terrorism and get Hindu groups banned. It should be noted that during those days, the Congress party had created an atmosphere of Hindu terrorism. Allegations of Hindu terrorism were made during the Samjhauta Express bombing case and the Malegaon bombing case, even though the Muslim accused arrested in the Malegaon bombing case not only accepted their roles but also forensic reports from soil tests conducted at the bomb-making sites had been received.
Imagine if brave martyr Tukaram Omble hadn't acted courageously and arrested Ajmal Kasab at Girgaon Chowpatty. Would the truth ever have come out? Kasab's arrest revealed the true identity of the terrorists. The ID cards found on Kasab were the same ones David Headley had prepared for him. If the security forces had killed all ten terrorists, the truth might never have been uncovered.
People like Digvijay Singh, Aziz Burney, and Mushrif were quick to blame the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the incident. They had already prepared the background for blaming them, referring to past incidents like the Malegaon and Samjhauta Express bombings. No one expected Tukaram Omble to arrest Kasab despite being shot.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Deshbhartar, who completed the arrest, later stated in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that Hasan Ghafoor was appointed Police Commissioner of Mumbai because of a businessman named Hasan Ali, involved in black money. Sonia Gandhi's advisor Ahmed Patel is believed to have played a role in this appointment.
When Deshbhartar recorded Ali's statement, the Prithviraj Chavan government suspended him under Ahmed Patel's instructions.
During the Mumbai terrorist attack, Police Commissioner Hasan Ghafoor didn't even go to the police control room as he was supposed to according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) at that time. The Ram Pradhan Commission, formed to investigate the attack, mentioned this. The SOP stated that the Police Commissioner should have been in the control room and in charge of the police force during such an emergency. However, Hasan Ghafoor didn't attend the Commissionerate for 59 hours. This indicates a serious lapse in leadership during the crisis.
Hasan Ali was connected to the Dawood Ibrahim gang and ISI according to the Enforcement Directorate. David Headley was exclusively working for ISI. The ISI carried out the Mumbai attack, and their influence is also seen in choosing the Police Commissioner. The ISI wants to push the idea of Hindu terrorism. What Aziz Burney, Digvijay Singh, and Mushrif are saying only helps ISI.
When Fawad Chaudhary from Pakistan supported Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar brought up Hindu terrorism again. This shows that Congress was linked to terrorists in the past, is linked now, and likely will be in the future as well.
The author is a National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Views expressed are personal.
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