Karkare was like a God to Indian Muslims: Digvijay

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh seems determined to stir the communal cauldron with unabated controversial statements. On Monday at the book release function of senior Urdu journalist and writer Aziz Burney's 26/11 an RSS conspiracy in Mumbai, Singh said that slain Anti Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare was a like a 'God to Indian Muslims'.

"Karkare was like a God for Indian Muslims, he is a martyr, "claimed Singh.

Singh reiterated that the former ATS chief was under 'immense pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha, Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party as they questioned his credibility and integrity'.

The Congress leader, however, clarified that he had never claimed that Hindu fundamentalists killed Karkare and that he had always maintained that 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and Karkare's death was due to the terror attack by Pakistani terrorists.

Singh also said that though he was present at function of Burney's book, he did not subscribe to its views that 26/11 was a conspiracy by the Hindu right wing RSS.

He also said that he did not agree with the book written by former Maharashtra top cop S M Mushrif who has alleged in his book 'Who killed Karkare' that it was the work of RSS and the Intelligence Bureau.

Trying to portray that Karkare was the only a saviour for Muslims, Singh took on his own government at the Centre. Singh referred to an incident in May this year where a maulana who was traveling to Dubai was deplaned and later arrested for terror links after a co passenger complained about his suspicious activities.

Singh said, "I was very ashamed of our government that nothing was done to get the maulana released, "said Singh.

He said that he has been pointing out since 2000 that RSS was imparting training to its cadres in making pipe bombs and that the same type of bombs were used in Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad, Samjhauta Express blast and the Malegaon blast. He ended his speech by saying that 'fundamentalism' among both Hindus and Muslims was a threat to the nation.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who was also present at the function, made an equally controversial statement when he said, "The ideology that can kill (Mahatma) Gandhi can do anything."