Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on May 7 accused Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar of echoing Pakistan’s rhetoric, following the latter’s recent remarks that an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated policeman, not slain terrorist Ajmal Kasab, killed the then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare. Mr. Fadnavis also questioned the silence of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over Mr. Wadettiwar’s statements. “Why is Uddhav Thackeray silent regarding Wadettiwar’s statement about Karkare?” he asked.
Mr. Wadettiwar, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, alleged that Karkare, who led the ATS during the 26/11 terror attack, was not killed by Kasab but by a policeman linked to the RSS. He made these remarks while criticising the BJP’s Mumbai North Central candidate Ujjwal Nikam, who served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 trial.
Mr. Fadnavis accused the Congress leader of speaking the language of Pakistan and claimed that while the entire country supported Mr. Nikam, the Congress supported the terrorist Ajmal Kasab. “Mr. Wadettiwar is speaking the language of Pakistan by saying that Ajmal Kasab did not kill Hemant Karkare. The entire country was with Nikam, while the Congress was with terrorist Ajmal Kasab,” the BJP leader alleged.
