11-07-2008, 12:17 PM
An interesting item from TOI
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Togadia alarmed by Lt-Col's rise?
7 Nov 2008, 0349 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: VHP leader Pravin Togadia may have styled himself as a fire-spewing radical, but he feared getting overtaken by Shrikant Prasad Purohit, the serving Lt Colonel who has been arrested for the Malegaon blast and who has since acknowledged his role in plotting last month's "revenge terror".
Sources said that alarmed by the way Purohit's Abhinav Bharat was weaning away the ultra-radicals in VHP's ranks, Togadia had asked the jailed army officer not to split the Hindutva ranks and instead join the Parishad (Vishwa Hindu Parishad).
Not known for accommodating rivals, Togadia, in fact, sought a meeting with Purohit. While the latter agreed to meet him, he refused to fold up Abhinav Bharat during the interaction the two had at a Mumbai hotel in August.
Purohit, who could impress many with his views on the need to retaliate against "jehadi terror", had managed to win over many VHP activists who found the Parishad's agenda "too mild" for their tastes. Abhinav Bharat gave them the exalted title of Chanakya â after the legendary advisor to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta.
It is not only the young who found Purohit convincing. ATS sources say that he left a strong impression on an 85-year-old Pune notable, Shyam Apte, who allegedly began funding the activities of Abhinav Bharat whose "retaliation" plan extended to "avenging atrocities on Hindus" in Bangladesh.
Purohit made few bones about his views, and would express them freely to his friends in the army. ATS officers are curious to know whether fellow officers were aware of Purohit's transformation from an outspoken radical into the founder member of Abhinav Bharat, who would, as the jailed officer told the ATS team interrogating him, plot the Malegaon attack. This is now a matter of investigation though army authorities here denied reports that they have received a fresh communication from ATS seeking permission to question peers of Purohit.
As it tries to uncover evidence of whether other serving officers were aware of the conspiracy, ATS seems to be pretty convinced about Purohit's links with Colonel (retd) S S Raikar, the commandant of Nashik's Bhonsala Military School.
Cops suspect that the retired colonel helped procure arms for Abhinav Bharat. Raikar, who has already been visited by ATS, may be picked up soon, sources said.
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Quote
Togadia alarmed by Lt-Col's rise?
7 Nov 2008, 0349 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: VHP leader Pravin Togadia may have styled himself as a fire-spewing radical, but he feared getting overtaken by Shrikant Prasad Purohit, the serving Lt Colonel who has been arrested for the Malegaon blast and who has since acknowledged his role in plotting last month's "revenge terror".
Sources said that alarmed by the way Purohit's Abhinav Bharat was weaning away the ultra-radicals in VHP's ranks, Togadia had asked the jailed army officer not to split the Hindutva ranks and instead join the Parishad (Vishwa Hindu Parishad).
Not known for accommodating rivals, Togadia, in fact, sought a meeting with Purohit. While the latter agreed to meet him, he refused to fold up Abhinav Bharat during the interaction the two had at a Mumbai hotel in August.
Purohit, who could impress many with his views on the need to retaliate against "jehadi terror", had managed to win over many VHP activists who found the Parishad's agenda "too mild" for their tastes. Abhinav Bharat gave them the exalted title of Chanakya â after the legendary advisor to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta.
It is not only the young who found Purohit convincing. ATS sources say that he left a strong impression on an 85-year-old Pune notable, Shyam Apte, who allegedly began funding the activities of Abhinav Bharat whose "retaliation" plan extended to "avenging atrocities on Hindus" in Bangladesh.
Purohit made few bones about his views, and would express them freely to his friends in the army. ATS officers are curious to know whether fellow officers were aware of Purohit's transformation from an outspoken radical into the founder member of Abhinav Bharat, who would, as the jailed officer told the ATS team interrogating him, plot the Malegaon attack. This is now a matter of investigation though army authorities here denied reports that they have received a fresh communication from ATS seeking permission to question peers of Purohit.
As it tries to uncover evidence of whether other serving officers were aware of the conspiracy, ATS seems to be pretty convinced about Purohit's links with Colonel (retd) S S Raikar, the commandant of Nashik's Bhonsala Military School.
Cops suspect that the retired colonel helped procure arms for Abhinav Bharat. Raikar, who has already been visited by ATS, may be picked up soon, sources said.
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