Dirty politics have always been the bane of every nation. In the earlier days, dictators ruled. Today, our elected representatives rule over us with impunity, and some do it in full public view. But what is most infuriarating is that they all go scotfree because the law enforcing machinery is in their grip.
The same is the story with Hindu fundamentalism and the so-called Islamic terrorism in India. The best case scenario in recent times that indicts the BJP/RSS/Bajrang Dal political factions is the Delhi High Court ruling that the ban on SIMI (Students’ Islamic Movement of India) be withdrawn as there is no clear proof of their involvement in any terrorist activity anywhere in the country.
To make this case even more authentic is the recent issue of Tehelka headed by Hindus, who have declared that the SIMI arrests were unfair and vindictive. They arrived at this conclusion after three months of extensive investigation.
All of this goes to prove that the BJP is making merry in all the states where it is ruling and blaming the Congress for all the bomb blasts that have happened from time to time. Be it the recent blasts in Bangalore or Ahmedabad, SIMI was blamed for it entirely when there is no evidence except the so-called SIMI activists’ own confession.
Now, everyone knows how the police resorts to third degree torture to compell the victims to sign on the dotted line. In fact, there have been many so-called SIMI activists who have come out of jail and said they never even made those confessions. Some have said that they were tortured to sign those confessions. Again, it’s a standard police procedure.
If you still doubt the Delhi High Court’s verdict or even Tehelka’s reporting, here are some tidbits that should get you thinking:
1. While being arrested, these ‘hardcore terrorists’ (SIMI) did not fire a single shot and gave in meekly.
2. The only evidence the police has against the Mumbai blast accused is their ‘confession’ taken under duress.
3. Police and investigence agencies insist that former SIMI leader Safdar Nagori is the outfit’s evil mastermind. But again, there is little evidence to nail him.
4. The media only fell for the bait as it needed spicy news to boosts its viewership ratings without getting to the validity of it. Quoting unnamed police and intelligence sources, the print and visual media claimed that Nagori was SIMI’s top “jehadist ideologue”.
5. Intelligence agencies claim that Nagori was networked with Pakistan’s ISI, the Lashkar-e-toiba and “West-Asia based supporters” but there is no evidence since his arrest early this year. What’s more, Tehelka’s report says that the police flouted crucial procedures while arresting Nagori, casting doubts on the police story. Eg: No reference was made to the receipt of the “secret information” in the station diary. There were no credible witnesses present at the station to testify to arrests.
6. They key piece of evidence against Nagori was his own confession made only a day after his arrest. If he was supposed to be a criminal mastermind, how would he make a confession and worst of all, voluntary? What’s more, the law stipulates that a confessional statement be recorded in front of a magistrate. But the police did nothing of that, casting doubts on its authenticity.
7. The timing of the bomb blasts are quite uncanny in all the BJP-ruled states. They have always happened when the BJP is in trouble. When the Tehelka expose came up in Parliament, the building was attacked. The Godhra incident took place when the Congress was doing well at the local body elections and BJP heavyweight Narendra Modi was not – he had merely won from his constituency by 6000 votes. During the recent Karnataka elections, there was a bomb blast in the BJP-dominated Hubli on the very first date of polling. Similarly, two days before the polling in the second phase in Karnataka, there was a bomb blast in Jaipur.
8. There is credible evidence that BJP, VHP and RSS have been involved in making bombs. In 1992, there was a bomb blast in the VHP office in Madhya Pradesh, where one VHP member died and two ere injured while making bombs. In 2002, a bomb went off in a temple in Mhow. When the police arrest the VHP activists after investigation, they confessed to making bombs when something misfired. They also admitted to getting trained to manufacture bombs. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh even has a video tape with these confessions. Again, in 2006, in Nanded, there was a bomb blast in the house of an RSS activist where two died. And in March 2008, there were bomb blasts at two places in Tamil Nadu. VHP activists were arrested by the Tamil Nadu police who confessed that they were involved.
CONCLUSION
It is not only an anti-Muslim agenda that the fundamentalist forces are unleashing on the country. They are digging their own grave just the way the US did by breeding Osama Bin Laden, who only overturned later and became their greatest foe. Worst of all, the BJP and its non-secular cousins, are using muslims as scapegoats to further their criminal activities in the country. Who will bell this fundamentalist cat? And is the Congress as much a party to it? No one ever knows. Because today, no party has any ideology.
