BJP, RSS behind Samjhauta blasts: Indian minister
Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. — File Photo by AFP
NEW DELHI: Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde accused the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday of promoting Hindu terrorism, which in turn was responsible for the fatal bombings of the Samjhauta Express among other Muslim targets.
Mr Shinde was quoted by The Hindu on its website as telling Congress party delegates in Jaipur that the government was keeping a strict vigil on the terror activities of the two organisations.
Addressing the party session on the final day of the brainstorming conclave, where Congress scion Rahul Gandhi was given the second highest party post after party president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Shinde said investigations revealed that the BJP and the RSS were conducting training camps to spread terrorism. “We have to take these facts seriously and remain alert.”
Mr Shinde’s unusually strident stance against “Hindu terror” echoed the WikiLeaks revelation in which Mr Gandhi was heard as complaining to the then US ambassador about the threat to India from the saffron surge.
The Home Minister said the BJP and the RSS were behind the blasts aboard the Pakistan-bound Samjhauta Express, in Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid and the Malegaon mosque in Maharashtra. Both blamed the minority community for the crime, he said.
Mr Shinde’s remarks drew an angry reaction from the BJP, which demanded an unconditional apology, but Congress leaders attending the conclave defended him and said rightwing terrorism was a reality in the country.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi refrained from naming the BJP but in an indirect reference to it, she announced her party’s commitment to protect the country’s “emotional unity”. She said the Congress would always fight the ideologies and forces which challenged the nation’s unity and integrity and wanted to polarise and divide society.
But several other speakers named the BJP, attacking its “divisive policies” and claiming that it did not represent the vast majority of people.
Finding himself at the centre of the controversy, Mr Shinde later told reporters that he had referred to “saffron terrorism”, which was nothing new and appeared in newspapers several times in the past.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, the former Union Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Union Minister Rajeev Shukla defended Mr Shinde, saying there was enough evidence of RSS-backed terrorism, The Hindu report said.
And the Pakistanis need not have to feel happy about this news by comparing this to the Islamic terrorism that is going up day by day in their country.
If 80% Hindu population of India encourage the terrorism against the minorities, then by now, there would have been no minority left in the country.
So what Mr. Shinde is referring to is absolute trash. If there was any evidence as they point, by now the culprits should have been booked. This is nothing but a political game. BJP might come back accusing of congress on something else, may be sikh riots again.
If there is no terrorism among Hindus, why then Hindu terrorists bombed Samjota Express tain , Ajmeer Dargah, many mosques and Islamic centers in Maharashtra, Rajashan, Andhra Pradesh, and courts in Karnataka in the name of Muslims killing scores of people? Hindu terrorists not only launched bombings but also fabricated terrorism on innocent Muslims giving the mostly Hindu police forces the opportunity to continue persecuting Muslims under the guise of investigation into terrorism; many highly educated Muslims were killed in fake encounters and tortured to incapacity and jailed in various states of India. There is a nexus between the Hindu police officials of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the issue of fabricating terrorism against innocent Muslims, including Muslim doctors, engineers, scientists and journalists.
Which country would need enemies from outside when you have minister quoting like these irresponsible statements?
Well for the benefit of people of Pakistan, let me just ad few things so they can understand that Mr Shinde was making wild accusations for the sake of Muslim vote bank than any facts.
If BJP and RSS are terrorist organisations then why is Mr Shinde not banning them? The thing is that Muslims of India and in fact whole of South Asia thrive on conspiracy theories thrown by people with vested interests.
RSS is India’s largest national organisation whose work has been recognized world over. It has given India more Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers than any other organisation. Even in recently concluded Gujarat elections all the 3 leaders of 3 main parties are graduates of RSS. You all know Narendra Modi. The other 2 were Keshubhai Patel of GPP and Shankesingh Vaghela of Congress. Yes! you read it right. Even the captain of Congress in Gujarat. The same congress which Mr Shinde represents is a graduate of RSS.
I’ve not seen any govt from US, UK, Europe, Australia to Japan declare RSS as a terrorist organisation. Have you? Last month 15 top Arab Muslim nations met with BJP president in New Delhi to get BJP support on key issues like Palestine etc. BJP President is Nitin Gadkari and once again ex RSS person. Even the muslims who are part of BJP all came through RSS.
Its a joke to call RSS or BJP a terrorist organisation but in Indian politics this is almost normal. See the thing is Congress has fooled Indian Muslims for 65 years and now Muslims are leaving congress and creating their own parties. Congress cant afford to lose muslim vote and so coming up with nonsensical statements. That is all that there is!
And this minister’s party responsible for riots of 84 . accusations are easy to make. they accused modi before but he emerged as tallest minister. now its time for bjp to emerge as biggest party
Brace up Muslims of world’s largest democracy. BJP has better chances to win coming elections than the last ones.
BJP-RSS cabal is the greatest danger to Hindus. They are trying hard to make India like present day Pakistan. It will take another 100 years for the people of India to realise it.
Worry No. Indian Muslims are Indians first and better off in India. Other part of the world need not worry about them but better look after problems in their own country. India is a rising power and are only behind China in terms of development, GDP, foreign investments, etc.
Who needs Samjauta Express. The service should be closed down, as it is just creating problems. As regards Shinde, who is incompetent and not fit to be a minister