11-22-2008, 01:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Congress puts sinister spin</b>
The pioneer Edit Desk
But Malegaon truth shall prevail
Despite the bravado of its official spokesperson â who accused Mr LK Advani and the BJP of âdefending terror accusedâ â it is clear that the Congress is rattled by the political turn that the so-called investigation into the September 29 explosion at Malegaon has taken. Even if one were to presume that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is on the right track â although it has furnished no compelling evidence yet â the casualness with which those running the investigation have acted is shocking. An institution such as the Army has been traduced, in private briefings and even in a court document, and been accused of protecting terrorists by, at least, egregious acts of omission. That aside, both Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col SP Purohit have filed sworn affidavits telling the court that the ATS has tortured them. The sadhviâs affidavit was succinct, clear and categorical, and vetted by one of Indiaâs most respected lawyers. It made specific accusations about her being verbally abused, her chastity being questioned, access being denied to lawyers and, contrary to directions by the Supreme Court, no female police personnel being present while she was interrogated or moved from one location to another. The public response to these revelations has been strong. More important, it has been spontaneous. For instance, the small group of 81 citizens who marched to the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi on Friday afternoon comprised, aside from one or two political activists, retired civil servants and white collar professionals who usually stay away from public protests. It does show that, somewhere, the affront to a woman and to as venerated an institution as the Army has hurt middle India. The Prime Ministerâs attempt at damage control, his call to Mr Advani and the decision to send the National Security Adviser and the Intelligence Bureau chief for a joint briefing would suggest that the Congress has sensed that the popular mood is not sympathetic and positively suspicious of the actions of the Maharashtra Government.
It is nobodyâs case that politics or ideological prejudice should come in the way of terrorism investigations. However, it is interesting that the Congress did not take this moralistic position when some of its own MPs sought to denounce the recent Batla House gun battle in Delhi, implying it was a fake encounter and practically charging the Delhi Police with cold-blooded murder. The Samajwadi Party, a key ally of the Congress, is actually talking of funding the legal defence of the Indian Mujahideen terror suspects. It is worth noting that there is a large body of evidence against the IM members. There is no matching case against the supposed âHindu terroristsâ. Other than a new name every day â the latest is a 70-year-old, semi-incapacitated IT professional who lives in a Pune bungalow, and who has been informed, through a newspaper plant, that he is the mastermind of âHindu terrorismâ â the ATS has furnished next to nothing. In this situation to ask what exactly it is doing, suggest it lay off salacious off-the-record briefings and demand it respect the dignity of both a woman remand prisoner and of the Indian Army is hardly unreasonable. As for the guilt or innocence of the suspects, let the courts decide. Whether the ATS and its political masters are in congress or otherwise, truth shall prevail.
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The pioneer Edit Desk
But Malegaon truth shall prevail
Despite the bravado of its official spokesperson â who accused Mr LK Advani and the BJP of âdefending terror accusedâ â it is clear that the Congress is rattled by the political turn that the so-called investigation into the September 29 explosion at Malegaon has taken. Even if one were to presume that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is on the right track â although it has furnished no compelling evidence yet â the casualness with which those running the investigation have acted is shocking. An institution such as the Army has been traduced, in private briefings and even in a court document, and been accused of protecting terrorists by, at least, egregious acts of omission. That aside, both Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col SP Purohit have filed sworn affidavits telling the court that the ATS has tortured them. The sadhviâs affidavit was succinct, clear and categorical, and vetted by one of Indiaâs most respected lawyers. It made specific accusations about her being verbally abused, her chastity being questioned, access being denied to lawyers and, contrary to directions by the Supreme Court, no female police personnel being present while she was interrogated or moved from one location to another. The public response to these revelations has been strong. More important, it has been spontaneous. For instance, the small group of 81 citizens who marched to the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi on Friday afternoon comprised, aside from one or two political activists, retired civil servants and white collar professionals who usually stay away from public protests. It does show that, somewhere, the affront to a woman and to as venerated an institution as the Army has hurt middle India. The Prime Ministerâs attempt at damage control, his call to Mr Advani and the decision to send the National Security Adviser and the Intelligence Bureau chief for a joint briefing would suggest that the Congress has sensed that the popular mood is not sympathetic and positively suspicious of the actions of the Maharashtra Government.
It is nobodyâs case that politics or ideological prejudice should come in the way of terrorism investigations. However, it is interesting that the Congress did not take this moralistic position when some of its own MPs sought to denounce the recent Batla House gun battle in Delhi, implying it was a fake encounter and practically charging the Delhi Police with cold-blooded murder. The Samajwadi Party, a key ally of the Congress, is actually talking of funding the legal defence of the Indian Mujahideen terror suspects. It is worth noting that there is a large body of evidence against the IM members. There is no matching case against the supposed âHindu terroristsâ. Other than a new name every day â the latest is a 70-year-old, semi-incapacitated IT professional who lives in a Pune bungalow, and who has been informed, through a newspaper plant, that he is the mastermind of âHindu terrorismâ â the ATS has furnished next to nothing. In this situation to ask what exactly it is doing, suggest it lay off salacious off-the-record briefings and demand it respect the dignity of both a woman remand prisoner and of the Indian Army is hardly unreasonable. As for the guilt or innocence of the suspects, let the courts decide. Whether the ATS and its political masters are in congress or otherwise, truth shall prevail.
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