Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 8 : Shiv Sena (UBT) distanced itself from Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's sensational claim that former Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare wasn't killed by LeT terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab during the 26/11 attacks; with its official mouthpiece Saamana stating in an editorial on Wednesday that all police officers, who made the supreme sacrifice, fell to bullets fired by terrorists from across the border.
Kasab, who was taken injured from one of the scenes of the attacks after a public beating, was later put on trial and hanged upon conviction.
Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, stoked a major controversy after claiming earlier that Karkare was "not killed by terrorists during the 26/11 attacks but by a police officer close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)."
However, Saamana, in its latest editorial, stated, "The 26/11 attacks on Mumbai was orchestrated by terrorists and subsequent investigations established Pakistan's role and involvement beyond any reasonable doubt. Kasab and fellow LeT gunmen, whom Pakistan sent by the sea, opened fire on unarmed civilians at leading city landmarks and public places such as the Taj Mahal Hotel, Cama Hospital, the Chabad House (Jewish seminary) and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus."
"The then ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, and other police personnel made the supreme sacrifice in the attacks launched by Kasab and his fellow gunmen from across the border. All these brave officers fell to the bullets fired by terrorists. The entire country mourned the supreme sacrifice of our brave police personnel," the editorial added.
While questioning the claim that Karkare was gunned down by Kasab but murdered by a fellow police officer linked to RSS, the editorial accused Ujjwal Nikam, the 26/11 prosecutor who is running for the Lok Sabha on a BJP, of suppressing facts in the Kasab case.
"Advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who was the prosecutor in the 26/11 case, is contesting the North Mumbai constituency on a BJP ticket. It has now come to light that Nikam was a 'Sanghi' (RSS man). He suppressed many truths in the Kasab and peddled falsehoods. Nikam lied when he said Kasab tucked into biryani every day and was accorded special privileges behind bars. However, it isn't logical to say that while all police officers, who laid down their lives during the 26/11 attacks, fell to terrorists' bullets; Karkare, alone, was murdered by a police officer linked to the Sangh," the editorial ran.
It stressed that Karkare died a heroic death and the country is proud of his supreme sacrifice.
"Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar brought up Karkare's supreme sacrifice while criticizing BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Ujjwal Nikam. However, the BJP gave it their own twist and spin. However, questions around Karkare's supreme sacrifice were first raised from the residence of Hasan Mushrif, an ally of the present BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state (Mushrif is with the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar). Mushrif's brother, SM Mushrif, who was in the police department at that time, raised questions over Karkare's death," the Saamana editorial stated.