Congress tries to white wash Mumbai terror attack

The Pioneer | 31, 2008 | Edit Page

Coming next: 26/11 never happened!
Kanchan Gupta

The Congress appears to have embarked upon a dangerous venture fraught with disastrous consequences for the nation. If the recent assertions of Minister for Minority Affairs Abdul Rehman Antulay and party general secretary Digvijay Singh, and the Government’s official response to them, are any indication, the Congress is seeking to make political capital out of India’s sorrow through the expedient means of ‘politicising’ the issue of terrorism.

The party has been harsh in its criticism of the BJP’s perceived partisan approach towards dealing with the menace of jihad and has rudely rebuked the Opposition for criticising Government policy — or, the absence of it — that has emboldened butchers to slaughter innocent citizens, firm in the belief that the state shall neither wreak vengeance on the perpetrators of mind numbing brutality nor ensure justice is done to the victims of Islamofascism.

But facts suggest that it is the Congress which, while preaching the need for national consensus at this hour of crisis, has decided not to allow public and political opinion to coalesce into a unified stand against terror. The purpose is two-fold. First, it is hopeful of being seen, at the time of the general election, as the party which has acted ‘firmly’ and ‘decisively’ against terrorism, and thus benefit from the popular view reflected in the slogan, “Enough is enough”, heard across the country after the horrendous bloodshed in Mumbai. And, second, it wants to slyly placate Islamists at home who are distressed by the amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by letting them know that they need not fear the new ‘tough’ anti-terror law.

So, the Congress allowed, or perhaps even encouraged, Mr Antulay to voice his outrageous conspiracy theory in the most cunning manner. The Minister who has reduced the definition of minority communities to mean only Muslims, the least of India’s minorities, let it be known that Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare and two of his senior colleagues were not necessarily felled by terrorist bullets during the siege of Mumbai.

When cornered by media and faced with a huge political backlash, he did not deny his comments, as is the usual norm with cynical politicians caught with their pants down. Instead, he brazenly reiterated his ‘opinion’, insisted that Karkare and the others were ‘directed’ towards Cama Hospital and their death by certain individuals, alluded to ‘Hindu terrorists’ playing a role in this sinister plot, and even indirectly exonerated Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and the other Pakistani terrorists of killing the police officers. He demanded an inquiry into Karkare’s death, saying there was more to it than what was telecast live by 24x7 news channels while all this was happening.

The Congress spokesman craftily distanced the party from the Minister’s comments while the Prime Minister, who notionally heads the Cabinet and is on the verge of completing a full five-year tenure in office without being in power for even a day, maintained an enigmatic silence. Curiously, Mr Digvijay Singh chose to speak up for Mr Antulay, claiming the Minister had been “misreported”, which is not true, and defending the indefensible: “What Antulay has asked for is a probe... What is objectionable in his statement?”

Days later, after allowing Mr Antulay to gloat over his despicable deed and revel in the support extended to him by those who unabashedly justify jihadi terror as a legitimate expression of Muslim frustration and anger over what they refuse to admit is imagined victimhood, instead of summarily sacking him and packing him off in sack cloth and ashes, the Government broke its eloquent silence by way of a statement by Minister for Home Affairs P Chidambaram.

If there were any expectations of the Government hauling Mr Antulay over the coals, those were belied by Mr Chidambaram who merely stated the sequence of events and concluded with an amazing balancing act: “In the days before his death, questions were raised about the genuineness of the investigations that were being conducted by Karkare in a terrorist case. After his death, questions are being raised about the circumstances in which he was killed. In my view, both are wrong and deeply regrettable.”

It is such chicanery that gives the Congress’s game away. The task of removing lingering doubts is left to party leaders like Mr Digvijay Singh. Hence, it is not surprising that the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh should have used his visit to Indore last Sunday to make the astounding revelation that the jihadis who attacked Mumbai had “demanded the release of certain terrorists”, but the Government bluntly refused their demands.

That guests at Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi-Trident hotels and the residents of Chabad House were held hostage by the fidayeen during those 62 hours of relentless terror is common knowledge, as is the fact that many of the hostages (including all of them at Chabad House) were killed in cold blood. But at no stage has the Government disclosed that the terrorists had demanded the release of “certain terrorists” — the Minister of State for External Affairs did not mention it in the United Nations Security Council on December 9; the Home Minister’s statement of December 11 in Parliament is silent on this point; and the numerous briefings by security agencies do not reflect Mr Digvijay Singh’s assertion, “We did not compromise, rather we went ahead and eliminated them.”

Taking a cue from Mr Antulay, Mr Digvijay Singh refused to retract his statement portraying the Congress as being rough and tough with terrorists — unlike the BJP which ‘capitulated’ at Kandahar when it was in power — after it fetched protests. On Monday he told PTI: “I stand by what I said in Indore.”

On Tuesday, the Government contradicted the man who, soon after the July 26 Ahmedabad bombings, which came in quick succession to the terrorist strikes in Bangalore and Jaipur, had wondered why “only BJP-ruled States are being targeted”; his wonderment hopefully ceased after Congress-ruled Delhi was bombed on September 13. Asked for his response to Mr Digvijay Singh’s claim, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee said there were no demands by the terrorists and, therefore, there was no question of any negotiations or rejection of those demands.

And so a pattern emerges. A Cabinet Minister raises doubts about jihadi terrorists letting loose a reign of terror in Mumbai and darkly hints that we should not discount the Islamist bunkum about the massacre being a ‘Hindu-Zionist’ plot. The Government responds with a non-response. Then a Congress general secretary says the Government refused to release ‘certain terrorists’ in exchange of hostages to prove its ‘zero tolerance’ of terrorism. The Government reacts with a rejection of ‘reports’ of any negotiations over release of prisoners.

Yet we are expected to believe that the nation is safe with the Congress in power!

TALK BACK

Brilliant Article By Ramakrishna B.S. on 1/1/2009 5:28:57 PM Earlier the marauders came across the Khyber Pass and destroyed our beautiful temples and killed our people. Now they come from across the borders and destroy our beautiful buildings and kill our people. This is about the terrorists of 26/11. At the heart is the fact that those unable to create can only destroy anything good. Unfortunately, Madame Sonia also can never create anything good and can only destroy what is beautiful in India. She is being aided by the goons of her political party

congree propaganda By ved on 12/31/2008 9:13:57 PM Congress under Sonia is a cunning vulture determined to win 2009 elections with muslim votebank. Hindus divided as they are have to be sacrificed for the sly fox.

Coming next: 26/11 never happened! by Kanchan Gupta By suresh sheth on 12/31/2008 7:57:19 PM Realizing that Congress government is pampering Islamic terrorism, Indian voters need to elect a BJP government with 2/3rd majority so that (1) constitution can be changed to pass uniform civil code with all citizens being equal before the law irrespective of their religious denominations as well as ban religious conversions which create communal tensions (2) Eliminate constitutional special status of J&K and jail all the separatist leaders in Srinagar (3) Decimate Islamic terror cells

FIRST CLAIM THEORY By VISWA VIJAY on 12/31/2008 5:08:51 PM JIHADIS SAY THAT BRITISH TOOK OVER HINDUSTAN FROM MOGULS ON LEASE TO PLUNDER. SO WHEN THE BRITISH LEFT THE RIGHT TO PLUNDER HINDUSTAN AGAIN VESTS WITH THE MOGULS. THIS IS CONFIRMED BY OUR PM WHEN HE SAID MUSLIMS HAVE THE FIRST CLAIM ON OUR RESOURCES ! IF UPA COMES TO POWER AGAIN THEY MAY EVEN AMEND THE CONSTITUTION FOR ACCESSION OF HINDUSTAN WITH PAKISTAN!

Are India and Hindus secure in Congr's Hands? By Bharti on 12/31/2008 3:23:41 PM AS WE ALL KNOW WHERE SONIA CAME FROM, WHAT HER INTENSION IS, SHE CAME TO INDIA TO DESTROY INDIA, HINDUISM, OUR CULTURE AND UNITY AND INTEGRITY WHICH MAHATMA SHOWED US. SHE CAME FROM THE CITY OF VATICAN WHERE SHE TOOK OATH TO DESTROY HINDUS AND HINDUISM, VEDIC AND RELIGIOUS CULTURES. WHEN HER HUSBAND DIED, ALL THE CONGRESS LEADERS ARE THE PUPPETS OF HER HANDS, AND SHE SUCCEEDED TO MAKE HINDUS AGAINST HINDUS, BY BRIBING THEM AND SHOWING THEM THE POWER AND PAISA.

Congress Culture..Vulture... By Prakash kanungo on 12/31/2008 1:13:28 PM Muslim Vote Bank phobia will make India a Islamic Republic of Bharat.....Gandhiji started it with initiating "Khilaphate" movement...what for...by 1000 miles India had nothing to do with that Turkish problem...Legacy continue...Congress vultures will one day say that Hindus are Kafirs and must be treated per shariat laws.....Jago mere watan kay longon...stop voting Congress.

The double face of the Congress By Dr Hilda Raja on 12/31/2008 9:05:27 AM The Congress has a double face-to show the nation that it is tough against terrorism and as Kanchana Gutpa says to placate the Muslims for their votes.The fact that no action is taken against Antulay and Digvijay Singh speaks voulmes of this hypocisy of the Congress.Not one Congress leader can rise above vote bank politics all they want seek is to capture power again.Even at the cost of the nation's integrity and over the dead bodies of the innocent people.

CORRUPTION AND POVERTY INTERLINKED By B S GANESH BANGALORE on 12/31/2008 8:50:40 AM Perhaps Congress has learnt or yet to learn from the results of Karnataka and J&K that mere pampering Muslims or favouring / protecting criminals and corrupt does not help to get votes. People cannot be fooled all the time. Indian common people want corruption free good governance which only uplifts the poor people which is the need of te hour. No amount of reservation, dividing the country on caste, religion, minority majority basis helps stability of the country.

When will the Aam Admi see the light ? By B Shah on 12/31/2008 5:40:18 AM When will Indians see the light and vote out these hypocrits !

Fantastic Article By hinduindian on 12/31/2008 3:49:47 AM It is such a FANTASTIC article, that it should bring every Hindustani out and shove this Congress in to their .... !

Weak Congress By A. Singh on 12/31/2008 12:59:56 AM One reminder. This guy Digvijay made off color remarks re Hindus, and the Congress lost election in a big way during 2007 in Gujarat. When Congress party have operatives like Digvijay, Antulay, Arjun, Amarinder and Ajit the Congress will never win by hate campaign against hindus. Though they may have some chances in few christian States like Tamilnadu and Mizoram and muslim states like Andhra, J&K and W. Bengal.