RSS-loyal cop, not Kasab killed ATS chief in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack

A controversy erupted after Maharashtra Opposition leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar defended terrorist Ajmal Kasab alleging that it was an RSS-affiliated cop but not Kasab who killed former state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Attacking Ujjwal Nikam, the BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central, the Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, “Nikam defamed Congress by raising the issue of biryani. Will anyone give biryani to Kasab? Later, Ujjwal Nikam accepted it, what kind of a lawyer is he, a traitor who did not even testify in the court? The bullet that killed Mumbai Police officer Hemant Karkare was not fired from Kasab's gun, but from a police officer loyal to RSS at that time. If the BJP is giving a ticket to a traitor who hid this truth from the court, then the question arises of why is BJP supporting these traitors?"

Meanwhile, BJP's National General Secretary Vinod Tawde criticised the statement and said, "Congress can stoop to any level to please and get its special vote bank. Senior leader of Maharashtra Congress and LoP Vijay Wadettiwar proved this by giving a clean chit to the terrorists of 26/11. According to him, Kasab did not shoot at martyr Hemant Karkare ji. Did Congress not feel ashamed at all while supporting the terrorists? Today the whole country has also come to know why prayers are being offered in Pakistan for the victory of Congress and the prince."

Later, Wadettiwar clarified his statement and said that he was quoting from a book written by SM Mushrif. He added, "Those are not my words. I just said what was written in SM Mushrif's book. The book had complete information. The bullet with which Hemant Karkare was shot was not a terrorist's bullet.”

SM Mushrif's book 'Who Killed Karkare' was written in 2009. SM Mushrif is a former Inspector General of Police and brother of Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Hasan Mushrif.

"Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorists' bullets. This is written in the book of police officer SM Mushrif. Why did Ujjwal Nikam not bring this to the fore? Police officer SM Mushrif has written in his book that Hemant Karkare was killed by a bullet, and that bullet is not of extremists (terrorists)... It is not a big deal to hang Ajmal Kasab, any ordinary lawyer or bailout lawyer could have done this," he said.