‘Congress speaking Pakistan’s language’: BJP moves EC over Vijay Wadettiwar’s ‘Kasab did not kill Karkare’ remark

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday moved the Election Commission of India with a complaint against Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar’s statement claiming that Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008, was killed by an RSS-linked policeman and not by Pakistan-based terrorist Ajmal Kasab.

“Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets of terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, but by a policeman close to RSS….Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor, is a traitor who suppressed this fact and BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor like him,” Wadettiwar, a former Maharashtra minister and Brahmapuri MLA, told reporters on Saturday.

Nikam resigned as a public prosecutor prior to filing his nomination from the Mumbai North Central constituency on a BJP ticket.

On Sunday, Wadettiwar reiterated his claim in Kolhapur but attributed it to a book by former police officer SM Msuhrif. The Congress leader continued his attack against Nikam — this time citing a book by former police officer Meeran Borawankar.

“The book clearly stated that no Biryani was ever offered to Kasab. It also means that Nikam purposely lied to defame the state government of Congress and NCP despite being a public prosecutor,” he said.

Congress using Pakistan’s language: BJP

Targetting Congress over Wadettiwar’s remarks, the BJP claimed that the party was mirroring the claims made by Pakistan. “Pakistan maintains that Kasab did not kill Indian police officials. Is Congress supporting Pakistan on this?” said Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, adding that Congress ally Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, should come clean on its position on the remark.

Nikam, meanwhile, maintained that the allegations against him were baseless and that Congress was toeing Pakistan’s line. “Why is it that the Congress is speaking the language of Pakistan?” he asked.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also echoed the remarks by other BJP leaders and accused Congress of raising doubts about India’s judiciary. “Maharashtra will show Congress and its leaders who are singing Pakistan’s tune the right place,” he said.

The BJP’s Mumbai unit has demanded that the EC restrain Wattediwar from campaigning and an FIR be registered agianst him for propagating the narrative as well as to probe the Congress party’s role in it.

BJP fighting lost battle: Congress

The Congress party, meanwhile, hit back at the BJP and claimed it was resorting to diversionary tactics since it has relaised that it was fighting a lost battle.

“The BJP is talking about Hindu-Muslim, India-Pakistan because it has failed to deliver on its promises in the last 10 years,” she said, adding that while BJP claims credit for Nikam’s role as a special public prosecutor in 26/11 case, it the then Congress-led state government that appointed Nikam in the first place.

The Maharashtra unit of the Congress has also approached the CEC with a complaint alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct over its advertisements asking voters whether their vote would lead to celebrations in India or in Pakistan.