Vijay Wadettiwar remarks on Hemant Karkare snowballs into a major political row in Maharashtra

Mumbai: More than 15 years after the 26/11 terror attacks shook the financial capital of India, the issue seems to be snowballing into a major political issue in Maharashtra coinciding with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

Quoting a book 'Who killed Karkare? The real face of terrorism in India' written by former Inspector General of Police S M Mushrif, Leader of the Opposition and senior Congressman Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that senior IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed by the firearm of an “RSS-linked” police officer and not by bullets fired by Pakistani fidayeen Mohamed Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. 

Incidentally, Mushrif is brother of senior politician and minister Hasan Mushrif, who is with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

The Congress said that the comments of the Leader of Opposition was based on a book.

“What Wadettiwar has said he has quoted from a book written by a former police officer,” AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala said.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was in Pune, said: "The matter is extremely serious. Our concern is that when the Leader of Opposition  points to something which is an allegation that has been in the public domain for some time and which featured in a book by the former Inspector  of Police SM Mushrif, who said that the bullets found in Karkare's body could not have been fired by the Ajmal Kasab and that it could have been fired by a police revolver, it seems to me that this allegation should have been seriously investigated. And it is not too late."

According to him, since it is an important matter, the nation has every right to know what really happened. “We are not saying that the allegation is definitely true. We are saying it should be investigated,” he said. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde lashed out at the Congress and his predecessor and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on the issue. 

"The statement by Wadettiwar regarding the martyred policemen and innocent Mumbaikars who lost their lives in the 26/11 attacks is highly irritating and infuriating. Wadettiwar seems to have lost his senses following the slogan of Rahul Gandhi, who is conducting the Bharat Jodo Nahi Bharat Todo Yatra,” Shinde said, adding: “It will not be out of place to say 'Congress ka Haath Pakistan ke Saath’.”

Shinde further emphasized the longstanding commitment of organizations like RSS to nationalistic values and appreciated how Ujjwal Nikam pursued the case.