Mumbai MP asserts Karkare killed by Pakistani terrorists

MUMBAI - Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s party colleague and MP from Mumbai-North Sanjay Nirupam Sunday said his comments over slain Maharashtra police officer Hemant Karkare could weaken India’s stand against terror and Pakistan but there was no doubt that Karkare was killed by Pakistani terrorists.

“Such a statement would weaken our stand in different international fora as far as India’s stand against terrorism vis–vis Pakistan is concerned,” Nirupam told TV channels.

Digvijay Singh earlier in the day asserted that he had never questioned involvement of Pakistani elements in 26/11 Mumbai strike. Singh said he also never said that Karkare, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, was killed by Hindu right-wing activists.

Nirupam said that it has been established beyond doubt that Karkare was gunned down by Pakistani terrorists during the 26/11 attack in Mumbai.

The Congress has washed its hands off Singh’s controversial comments made Saturday. The party said he was responsible for the utterances (that Karkare apprehended threats to his life from fundamentalist Hindu groups).

Nirupam pointed out that he did not intend to criticize Singh but was referring to the tragic incidents of Nov 26-29, 2008 when top officers like Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were killed by Pakistani terrorists who laid siege to Mumbai for 60 hours.

He said that even Digvijay Singh had clarified his stand by saying that he had not said that Karkare was allegedly killed by Hindu fundamentalist groups.

After all, (Digvijay) Singh is among our senior most leaders and he was actually discussing the incident of 26/11 and the whole world knows that Karkare was killed by Pakistani terrorists, Nirupam said.

Nirupam said that Karkare, as the ATS chief, had unravelled the involvement of some hardline Hindu groups in the 2008 Malegaon blasts.

These groups were stunned by the investigations of the ATS and were upset with Karkare at that time, but there are no doubts that he attained martyrdom at the hands of Pakistani terrorists while challenging them during the Mumbai terror attack, Nirupam said.