Friends
You would have read Sri S.Gurumurthy’s column “True Lies of Sushil Kumar Shinde” in today’s TNIE here: http://newindianexpress.com/opinion/article1432883.ece
Exactly two years ago, my column “The darkest of all conspiracies” was published in “Daily Pioneer” dated 22.01.2011, in which I had talked about LeT, SIMI, Narco Test on Nagori, Maharashtra ATS, US Probe, Malegon Blasts, Aseemanand, Malegon accused plotting to kill RSS leaders and a few other points. (The column is given below)
Now my question is…
What has been the BJP doing for the last two years? What is it going to do from now on?
Why should RSS sue only the Home Secretary and why not the Home Minister? Why didn’t it sue the then Home Minister PC?
Haran
http://www.dailypioneer.com/312434/The-darkest-of-all-conspiracies.html
OPED | Saturday, January 22, 2011
The darkest of all conspiracies
BR Haran
“Hindu terror” and “Saffron terror” are terms concocted on the basis of weak evidence by discredited, corrupt political elite which thinks nothing of sacrificing human lives for petty electoral gains. But how long can you fool all the people?
Since the formation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2004 there has been a marked rise in the number of sleeper modules of jihadi organisations across India. The high priority accorded by UPA-1 to the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002, had a significant bearing on the career of Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
This terrorist group, which acted on direct orders of the Lashkar- e-Tayyeba (LeT) found the latitude accorded by a pseudo-secular regime in Delhi to reinvent itself as “Indian Mujahideen”, “Deccan Mujahideen” and “Popular Front of India.”
Between 2004 and 2008 terrorist strikes either in the form of bomb blasts or sudden attacks by armed jihadis, became almost a monthly affair. The incompetence of the UPA government in fighting terror was exposed.
The Maharashtra ATS led by Hemant Karkare conducted political investigations into the Malegon blasts and exposed itself through select arrests and selective leakages of investigations to the media. In order to add weight to its claims, the ATS opined that the same accused were also involved in the Ajmer, Hyderabad Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express blasts. The credibility of the investigations vanished when its bluff on “Sadhvi’s motorcycle” “Colonel Purohit’s RDX” failed to impress the nation, despite the support of a conniving mainstream media. The credibility hit rock bottom when the ATS came out with the story that the Malegon accused had also conspired to kill RSS leaders.
Even while the 26/11 attack was raging, a ‘Hindu-Zionist’ conspiracy theory was concocted and spread through the Internet. Suspicion was engendered that the fall of ATS chief Karkare to a hail of terrorist bullets was actually a “Hindu-Zionist” job, carried out to get even with him for carrying out the Maelgon probe. Abdul Rehaman Antulay, the then Minority Affairs Minister, became the first official personality to spread this canard. Congress bigwig leaders like Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmed came out openly in support of Antulay. Abishek Manu Singhvi, the party’s high-profile spokesman, said: “BJP has advantages and will gain from the terror attack.” The then Home Minister of Maharashtra, RR Patil, opined that Karkare had met him on the fateful evening and complained bitterly about the RSS for focusing on its ‘role’ in the Malegon blast. The same lie was sought to be spread by Digvijay Singh.
The HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal, said after Karkare’s death: “The terrorists knew exactly whom they were targeting.” The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, hurt the sentiments of the people by commenting that only 200 deaths had resulted in 26/11 which was insignificant compared to Mumbai’s population of more than 1.5 crore. But Congess leader Narayan Rane hit out at his colleague’s irresponsible statements and revealed that some of them had indeed financed terrorists and provided terrorists safe haven in the country. He accepted full responsibility for this statement and added that he would provide all the details with proof at the “appropriate time.”
Statements such as this by Congress and UPA leaders in various media might have sounded like Freudian slips, but they have assumed special importance over time, perhaps in direct proportion to the revelations of corruption perpetrated by the Congress leaders. Corruption is a way of life in India’s grand old party. With so many scams being blown in recent months by a media elite which has suddenly rediscovered its conscience, the Congress has been left with no alternative but add fuel to the fire under the old communal pot.
During the DGP’s Conference in August 2010, Home Minister P Chidambaram audaciously warned about a “new phenomenon” called “saffron terror”. This was around the time when the Commonwealth Games scam was being blown in the national media and the global image of the nation taking a hit. The Congress could think of no other diversionary tactic but raise the “Hindu terror” specter because that was the only way it could remind its ‘reliable’ voters that at the end of the day only one thing mattered in India — the perceived “safety” of Islam. When Chidambaram faced criticism for mouthing such objectionable lies, he refused to yield. Rather, he had the audacity to say that his remark had brought the message home and that its “purpose” had been served. It was no secret to anybody what that “purpose” was. The demonification of Hindutva forces.
In early December, when the people of India were shaken of confidence in their nation by the magnitude of the UPA’s scams, the Congress organised a plenary session to celebrate the 150th year of the founding of the Indian National Congress — an organisation with which it has no organic or inorganic linkage. At that event, Sonia Gandhi made sure not to mention the corruption and nepotism with which her family enterprise had come to be identified. Instead, she chose to hit out at the RSS; linking it with “Hindu terror”. Pranab Mukherjee contributed his mite to the foul atmosphere. Rahul Gandhi, who was partying at the wedding of his friend’s son while Mumbai was under attack by jihadi terrorists, equated the RSS with SIMI. When the entire nation protested in one voice against his position, Rahul neither repented nor withdrew his words. Later, Wikileaks revealed that he was indeed damaging India in the international arena by serving the cooked-up story of Hindu terror. He had talked about a “bigger” threat to jihadism emanating from “radicalised Hindu groups”. United States Ambassador Timothy Roemer made a note of this which Wikileaks revealed.
One should not make the mistake of assuming that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is aloof from all this. In fact, he was the first to talk about Hindu terror. While on board a special aircraft to Havana in the immediate aftermath of the September 2006 Malegon blasts, he had said: “Involvement of Hindu fundamentalist outfits cannot be ruled out”. From that point on, it was a consistent Congress policy to pin the blame for blasts in Muslim-dominated neighbourhoods on Hindus. It is based on the assumption that jihadi groups, being peopled by Muslims, do not target fellow Muslims. This attacks the universal, politically correct axiom that terrorists are religion neutral. The double face of the Congress was exposed at this point itself.
The National Investigation Agency, to please its political masters, foolishly opposed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the US Department of Treasury which have identified LeT with Samjhauta and other terror attacks in India. American investigators have also established the involvement of LeT and HUJI (Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami) behind the Mecca Masjid blasts. Moreover, many journalists have vouched for the character of Swami Aseemananda. Now, the NIA’s job has become more complicated, for it has to prove UNSC, the US Treasury Department and other credible agencies wrong and also explain the earlier confession made by Islamic terrorist Nagori.
The Congress and its pseudo-secular allies have a dangerous agenda. They want to protect their vote banks by diluting the fight against jihad and evangelisation. “Hindu terror” and “saffron terror” are nothing but aspects of a conspiracy to emasculate and destroy the idea of India.
http://newindianexpress.com/opinion/article1432883.ece
True lies of Sushil Kumar Shinde
By S Gurumurthy 24th January 2013 07:04 AM
“The RSS and the BJP were behind the Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Malegaon blasts,” declared Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on January 20, 2012, adding that the training camps run by the RSS and BJP were promoting ‘Hindu terrorism’. A day after Shinde’s declaration, Hafiz Saeed, leader of the LeT, the Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist outfit, called for a ban on the RSS. So Shinde is the witness for the LeT to accuse the RSS of terror. Now look at the evidence, first the blast onboard the Samjhauta Express from Pakistan in which 68 persons were killed.
LeT Culprit, say UN, US
“Qasmani Arif...chief coordinator of the relations of the [LeT] with other organisations...has worked with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to facilitate terrorist attacks including...the bombing of February 2007 in the Samjhauta Express in Panipat (India).” This is what resolution [No 1267] of the Committee on Sanctions of the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] dated 29.6.2009 declares. Adding that Qasmani was funded by Dawood Ibrahim and he did the fundraising for the LeT and the al-Qaida, the UNSC said, “In exchange for their support, al-Qaida provided support staff for the February 2007 bombing of the Samjhauta Express in Panipat.” This resolution is available on the UN site. Two days later, on July 1, 2009, the United States Treasury Department said in its press release: “Arif Qasmani has worked with the LeT to facilitate terrorist attacks, including...Samjota Express bombing.” The US named four Pakistanis, including Arif Qasmani as terrorists, under Executive Order No 13224. This press release is still on the US Treasury site. The United Nations Security Council and the US Treasury Department thus named the LeT, Qasmani and Dawood Ibrahim as accused in Samjhauta terror. This is just the beginning of the torrent of evidence pointing to the LeT and Pakistan.
Pakistan Minister’s Confession
Six months after the UN and US announced sanctions against the LeT and Qasmani, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Mallik himself admitted that Pakistani terrorists were involved in the Samjhauta blast, but with a rider that “some Pakistan-based Islamists had been hired by Lt Col Purohit to carry out the Samjhauta Express attack.” [India Today Online 24.1.2010]
Headley Involved in Samjhauta -- US Probe
Not just the UN. Or the US Treasury. Or just the admission of Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Independent investigation in the US revealed more. Some 10 months later, Sebastian Rotella, a US journalist, wrote in his investigative report titled ‘U.S. agencies were forewarned about suspect in 2008 Mumbai bombings’, that Faiza Outalha, the third wife of David Coleman Headley had confessed [in 2008, which was made public in 2010] that Headley was involved in the Samjhauta blast. Rotella added that Faiza felt that “she had been innocently used” in the Samjhauta terror. [The Washington Post 5.11.2010] A while later, in a follow up investigation, Sebastian Rotella disclosed in April 2008 that Faiza returned to the embassy in Islamabad with the tip about the 2008 Mumbai blast when she again linked him to the Samjhauta blast.
Rotella commented that though India and the US blamed the attack on Lashkar, the US authorities had not implicated Headley in that still-unsolved attack, however.[The Washington Post 14.11.2010] So, independent, neutral probe in the US also pointed to Pakistan and the LeT in Samjhauta blast.
Narco Test Pointed to SIMI Role
Even at the start of the Samjhauta investigation in 2007, the evidence clearly pointed to the role of the Students Islamic Movement of India [SIMI] and the LeT. India Today [19.9.2008] in its report titled ‘Pak hand in Mumbai train blasts, Samjhauta Express blasts, says Nagori’ gave meticulous account of the involvement of the LeT and Pakistan in the Samjhauta terror. The report was based on narco test testimonies of SIMI leaders. India Today said that the narcotic tests were carried out on general secretary of SIMI, Safdar Nagori; his brother Kamruddin Nagori and Amil Parvez in Bangalore in April 2007, three months after the Samjhauta blast; the results of the narco test of the SIMI leaders were available with the magazine; it revealed that SIMI activists had executed the Samjhauta blast, with the help of the Pakistani nationals from across the border; while Nagori was not directly involved, two members of SIMI, Ehtesham Siddiqui and Nasir, were directly involved; SIMI members, including Nagori’s brother Kamaruddin, were involved in the Samjhatua blast; for executing the Samjhauta blast, the Pakistanis had purchased the suitcase cover from Kataria Market in Indore and one of the members from SIMI had helped the Pakistanis to get the suitcase cover stitched. Investigation had established that in the Samjhauta blast, five bombs packed in suitcases and activated by timer switches were used.
Conspiracy by Maharashtra Police?
Why were these clinching pieces of evidence not pursued? How the blame shifted from the Islamists to the Hindus? Some elements in the Maharashtra Police appears to have colluded in linking the 2008 Malegaon blast to the Samjhauta blast. When leads were thus pointing to Pakistan and SIMI as partners in the Samjhauta blast, in November 2008, as an anti-climax, the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad [ATS] shockingly told the Special Court through the public prosecutor that Col Purohit allegedly involved in the Malegaon blast in which RDX was used, had supplied RDX for the Samjhauta blast though one ‘Bhagwan’. [The Indian Express 15.11.2008] Within the next 48 hours, [17.11.2008] India Today online refuted the ATS claim saying that Samjhauta investigators had told India Today that a study of the blast by the National Security Guard(NSG) said that no RDX, but Potassium Chlorate and Sulphur, had been used as explosives. The magazine also recalled that immediately after the blasts, then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the media that not RDX, but, a ‘new type of explosive’ had been used to bomb the Samjhauta Express. On that very day [17.11.2008] the ATS counsel retracted the statement he had made earlier involving Col Purohit in the Samjhauta blast. [The Hindu dt19.11.2008]. But the damage was done in the 48 hours. Immediately, Pakistan said that it would raise the issue of Purohit’s involvement in Samjhauta at the Secretary-level meeting on November 25, 2008. Finally on January 20, 2009, the Maharashtra ATS officially denied that Col Purohit had supplied RDX for Samjhauta. This was how the Samjhauta focus -- later the blame -- shifted from the LeT and the SIMI to Purohit and via Purohit on to Saffron. The Maharashtra ATS’ attempt to link Malegaon 2008 to Samjhauta, which shifted the focus away from the LeT on to Purohit, needs to be probed particularly given Dawood Ibrahim’s deep influence on Maharashtra Police.
If Shinde is telling the truth, then the United Nations Security Council and the US Treasury Department are fabricating charges against Qasmani, Dawood and the LeT; Faiza Outallah and The Washington Post are telling lies to fix the LeT and Pakistan; the SIMI officials’ narco evidence is fabricated; and Rehman Mallik’s confession about Pakistani involvement is false. Can it be more ridiculous? It is clearly the lies of Shinde, the vote bank politician versus all neutral evidence. If this was how the Samjhauta probe was perverted, in the Malegaon 2006 blast the Maharashtra ATS has filed a chargesheet where the SIMI cadre had confessed to their role in the blast. But the CBI is procuring confessions to exonerate them and implicate others, Hindus in the case. So Malegaon 2006, is becoming a case of confession vs confession! In Malegaon 2008 blasts, Col Purohit and his associates have been charged and the evidence submitted in the Court shows that the accused in the Malegaon 2008 case were planning to assassinate RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar for taking money from the ISI! [Outlook 19.7.2010] How could the RSS which is the target of the conspiracy itself be the conspirator? Does Shinde know what he is talking?
QED: Shinde now has a good companion in his mission against the RSS in Hafeez Saeed, boss of the global terror outfit LeT. Can a Home Minister tell more deadly lies against his own country’s interests, all for just a few million votes?
S Gurumurthy is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues.
E-mail: comment@gurumurthy.net
Samjhauta Blast Case: Counter Investigation To NIA Investigation: Full Text
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Comments(32)
congrats to express, for publishing an outstanding article. Guru is Guru. If Shinde has any self-respect left, he must resign immediately and migrate to Pakistan
Posted by n mohan at 01/24/2013 07:13 Reply to this Report abuse
Shinde , Digvijay singh and Chidambaram are professional liers and tools in hands of Italian lady. They are supporting Al Queada and Hafiz Sayeed . and SIMI . With this what type of people they are ? Are they patriots or traitors ?. To whom they are strengthening. For sake of power , they are working against National interests , to please foreign lady as fourth class employees in Government . Foreign lady never speaks but instruct these spineless indigenious fools to raise such senseless issues, to keep Vote bank politics live to meet their purpose to retain power . Will this country is safe in hands of these sychopants , is big issue infront of Nation
Posted by M Gal Reddy at 01/24/2013 07:32 Reply to this Report abuse
The way Nehru became PM with Mahatma Gandhi as his accomplice sidelining Sardar and the way Nehru took control of Kashmir affairs stopping Sardar from integrating it into the Indian Union speaks volumes about the top two leaders who have led India nearer to the precipice. The lust of the dynasty to stay in power has degraded India into a cesspool of frustration and anguish. Perpetuating caste divide through quotas, encouraging Muslim separateness in the name of secularism and cynically sanctifying it through the Constitution and blaming Hindus for not being secular all points to the CONgress' evil intent of creating a second Pakistan in not so long a future. CONgress cancer is eating the vitals of this nation. When traitors rule India lies shattered.
Posted by Vedam at 01/24/2013 08:15 Reply to this Report abuse
The least that can be donde by the UPA is to sack its HOme Minsiter. The people cananot tolerate the spectacle of the Home minsiter of their country making such nblatantlies agakinst its own people, It is even mroe suroprising that the Maharashtra OPoklice did nto do its functions impartially.
Posted by s subramanyan at 01/24/2013 09:11 Reply to this Report abuse
i get all the four major newspapers. express, hindu,TOI and deccan chronicle. i pick up express first, since from my teen years, it has been the most un-biased newspaper. Mr Gurumurthy should give more proof and nail this Home Minister. what a country we have sunk into. I am anxious to send my son to some other sane country . i regret the day when i came back from U.S,, Loving my India.
Posted by vaniambadi natarajan at 01/24/2013 09:40 Reply to this Report abuse
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/headley-gets-35-years-in-jail/article4341080.ece?homepage=true
Published: January 24, 2013 22:22 IST | Updated: January 25, 2013 01:50 IST
Headley gets 35 years in jail
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AP Acting U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro speaks to reporters at the federal building in Chicago on Thursday after David Coleman Headley was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
AP In this May 23, 2011 courtroom sketch, David Coleman Headley is shown in federal court in Chicago.
In this May 23, 2011 courtroom sketch, David Coleman Headley is shown in federal court in Chicago.I don't have any faith in Headley when he says he is a changed person now, says judge
Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley was on Thursday sentenced to 35 years in prison by a U.S. court for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The sentence will be followed by five years supervised release.
While the U.S. government admitted the “deplorable” nature of his role in the 26/11 attacks, the prosecution had pressed for a sentence of 30-35 years under a plea bargain with Headley in return for his cooperation. The death penalty and extradition options were dropped.
Pronouncing the sentence here, U.S. federal district court judge Harry Leinenweber said he had to consider that Headley had committed numerous crimes in the past, confessed to them and received lenient sentences.
Headley’s defence team argued for mitigation based on his past drug addiction and the need to set an appropriate sentence to encourage cooperation from future defendants in a similar position.
Under his deal with the U.S. government, Headley supplied information on other terror suspects, which, prosecutors said, helped them investigate and bring criminal charges against co-defendant Tahawwur Rana, Ilyas Kashmiri and several Pakistan-based operatives.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there is no Federal parole and defendants must serve at least 85% of their sentence.
In pronouncing the sentence, Justice Leinenweber said: “Mr. Headley is a terrorist.”
“There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment for Mr. Headley’s incredibly serious crimes but for the significant value provided by his immediate and extensive cooperation.”
PTI adds:
The judge said: “He commits crime, cooperates and then gets rewarded for the cooperation. No matter what I do, it is not going to deter terrorists. Unfortunately, terrorists do not care for it. I do not have any faith in Mr. Headley when he says that he is a changed person now.
“I do believe that it is my duty to protect the public from Mr. Headley and ensure that he does not get into any further terrorist activities. Recommending 35 years is not a right sentence.
“I will accept the government motion 35 years and sentence of 35 years ...”
Asked if he wanted to make a statement, Headley said: “No your honour …”
The judge said: “The sentence I impose, I’m hopeful, it will keep Mr. Headley under lock and key for the rest of his natural life.”
He said it would have been much easier to impose the death penalty. “That’s what you deserve.”
A week ago, Justice Leinenweber had sentenced Rana to 14 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and planning terror attack against a Danish newspaper in Copenhagen.