Shakeel Ahmad links IM rise to 2002 Gujarat riots
PTI New Delhi, July 21, 2013
Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed on Sunday claimed that it was the 2002 Gujarat riots that led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM).
"Indian Mujahideen was formed after the Gujarat riots, says NIA in its chargesheet. Even now BJP and RSS will not desist from their communal politics?," Ahmed said on microblogging site Twitter.
When contacted, the Congress general secretary blamed the "communal politics of BJP for the chain reaction" on the issue of terror.
"This (2002 riots) was the reason behind the creation of Indian Mujahideen. If they foresake their communal politics, outfits like IM will cease to exist," he said.
"So, the communal politics of BJP has led to a chain reaction. They should give up such politics," Ahmed said.
"The main source of communalism in the country is RSS and BJP, he alleged and added, "Those who want to stop communal politics should build pressure on BJP and RSS".
Narendra Modi talks 2002, kicks up storm with 'puppy' remark
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi, July 12, 2013
First Published: 19:42 IST(12/7/2013)
The 2002 Gujarat riots continue to haunt chief minister Narendra Modi, who kicked up a fresh controversy on Friday with his defence of his actions then.
In an interview to Reuters, the man tipped to be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said, “Someone is driving a car and we’re sitting behind, even if a puppy comes under the wheels, will it be painful or not? Of course it will. Chief minister or not, I’m a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad.”
The backlash came fast and furious. “Thousands were killed in the riots and in the backdrop, the analogy used by Narendra Modi needs to be strongly condemned. There is no place for such a comparison in civilised India,” said Congress’ Ajay Maken.
The Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), CPI and JD(U) accused the Gujarat strongman of comparing Muslims to puppies and demanded an apology for the “humiliating” remark.
An unrepentant Modi tweeted: “In our culture, every form of life is valued and worshipped. People are the best judge.”
The BJP’s spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said it was “despicable” to misinterpret Modi’s remark when he’d just said he would regret any being getting killed.
In the interview, Modi said he’d tried his best to control the riots with “whatever brainpower the supreme being has given us, whatever experience I’ve got and whatever I had available in that situation”. “This is what the SIT (Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team) investigated,” he said, adding that it had given him a “thoroughly clean chit”.
He added that he’d have been frustrated had he been “stealing and got caught”, but that wasn’t the case.
Modi — who won a third consecutive term as CM in December — said India should have a secular leader but that secularism meant an ‘India First’ policy of “justice for all and appeasement for none”. He contended he didn’t believe in dividing voters into “Hindu” and “Muslim”.
Modi also saw no contradiction between his “pro-development” and “Hindu nationalist” images: “I’m a nationalist. Nothing wrong in it. I’m a born Hindu. Nothing wrong in it … So, you can say I’m a Hindu nationalist because I’m a born Hindu. I’m patriotic so nothing wrong in it,” he said. “As far as progressive, development-oriented, workaholic, whatever they say, this is what they say. So there’s no contradiction between the two.”
The CM said it was necessary for a leader to be decisive but that an authoritarian leader couldn’t stay in power for long. He said he appreciated criticism — “the strength of democracy” — but it was different from allegations, which he disapproved of. His logic: criticism takes research and facts, allegations require no hard work.
On being called a polarising figure, he contended that polarisation was the “basic nature” of democracy.
Asked whom he emulated, Modi mentioned BJP veteran Atal Behari Vajpayee – who, incidentally, wanted him removed as Gujarat CM in 2002 — Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi.
Defending Gujarat’s “development”, he said he wouldn’t have been voted to power thrice if it was all hype.
Modi's reaction
Following the response he received on his interview, Modi tweeted a link to his interview saying 'people are best judge' (sic).\
Don't 'divide the nation' on the basis of religion: Digvijaya to Modi
PTI New Delhi, July 13, 2013
First Published: 13:17 IST(13/7/2013) |
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday assailed Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's remarks describing himself as a 'Hindu nationalist', saying "shouldn't we all be Nationalist Indians" and asked the BJP leader not to 'divide the nation' on the basis of religion.
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi performs the 'Pahind Vidhi' puja to start Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad. PTI
A day after Modi's remarks sparked a political furore, Singh said on Twitter, "Shouldn't we all be Nationalist Indians rather than Hindu Nationalist or Muslim Nationalist or Sikh Nationalist or Christian Nationalist ?"
In another tweet, he also took a jibe at Sangh Parivar saying, "Don't divide this Great Nation on basis of religion which Savarkar and Jinnah did. They were the original authors of Two Nation theory."
Hitting out at fundamentalism in all forms, he said in another tweet that he heard Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived after being shot by the Taliban for supporting girl's education, addressing the United Nations.
"What a powerful condemnation of Taliban and all forms Fundamentalism. She has now become an Icon for World Literacy.
"Congratulations to her and let us resolve to fight for all that she stands for! May God give her a long life and the strength she deserves," the Congress general secretary said hailing the 16-year-old.
The tweets of Singh, a known detractor of the Gujarat chief minister, came close on the heels of Modi's attempts to defend himself against allegations of inaction during the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
"Even If I am in the back seat of a car and a puppy comes under the wheels, isn't it painful? It is. Whether I am a chief minister or not, I am a human being. I will be sad if something bad happens anywhere," Modi was quoted as saying in an interview.
The Gujarat chief minister said he had done "absolutely the right thing" during the 2002 riots and that his government had used its "full strength" to set things in order.
"I am nationalist. I'm patriotic. Nothing is wrong. I am born Hindu. Nothing is wrong. So I'm a Hindu nationalist. So yes, you can say I'm a Hindu nationalist because I'm a born Hindu," he had said.
BJP says Congress trying to ‘rationalize’ IM
TNN | Jul 23, 2013, 04.56 AM IST
NEW DELHI: BJP hit out at Congress on Monday, slamming Shakeel Ahmed for claiming that terror group Indian Mujahideen was formed in reaction to the 2002 Gujarat riots and said the ruling party was deliberately "communalizing" politics.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Ahmed was attempting to "rationalize" the IM which has been proscribed by the Congress-led government itself and is designated a terrorist organization by the US and the UK.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress had repeatedly sought to justify terrorism. "Earlier, Digvijay Singh suggested that those killed in the Batla House shootout were victims, Congress backtracked. The same happened in Shakeel Ahmed case," he said.
Jaitley said Ahmed had totally ignored the context in which IM was formed. "Pakistan wanted to create an organization which appears to be Indian and have a lot of Indian operatives. The bomb-making techniques and the financing came from across the border," he said.
"Indian credentials gave to Pakistan a scope for deniability every time a terrorist attack took place. Congress spokesman has sought to rewrite history. His effort is to somehow paint the Indian Mujahideen as an organization of the aggrieved who are victims of riots in Gujarat. He ignores the international context and Pakistan's strategy behind the creation of Indian Mujahideen," Jaitley added.
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