Singh claimed in an interview to a newspaper that there was a danger to then-Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Karkare was facing threat to his life from some Hindu organizations.

Karkare was gunned down by Pakistani militants during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Reacting sharply over Singh’s claim, Sena Member of Parliament and executive editor of party mouthpiece “Saamna” Sanjay Raut said, “This claim is entirely a foolish one and the Sena demands that Singh should be made an accused in the 26/11 trial for concealing this vital information from the police.”

The BJP demanded that Singh, who had offered condolences to the family of alleged terrorist Shahnawaz Ahmad killed in the police encounter in the infamous Batla House shoot-out in Delhi, should be arrested and a case should be registered against him for making false claim in Karkare’s matter.

The RSS said it was unfortunate that politics was being played in the issue relating to the martyrdom and sacrifices of several police officials as well as of the armed forces.

Singh in the interview to Indian Express had claimed that two hours prior to the 26/11 attacks, Karkare had called him to say his life was under constant threat and that he was being targeted by those opposed to Hindu terror probe in the Malegaon blasts case. “On Nov. 26, 2008, at 7 p.m., just about two hours before the attacks in Mumbai started, Hemant Karkare, the slain ATS chief rang me on my mobile and told me how his family and his life were blighted by constant threats from people annoyed by his investigations into the Malegaon blasts.”

Singh further said, “Karkare was worried and was trying to trace the calls, but was depressed and worried by threats and personal attacks made in the newspapers. Karkare also told me that he was hurt that in a paper, the mouthpiece of a Hindu right-wing organization, allegations were being made that my son was minting money in Dubai, when in reality he was only a school student in Mumbai.

The Congress leader further stated that he had shared these revelations on Dec. 6 with the audience at a function to launch a book “26/11, an RSS conspiracy?” by Aziz Burney, Editor in Chief of Urdu Sahara newspaper.

Burney in the book stated the RSS was making all attempts to stop investigations into the alleged involvement of people linked to the RSS in the blast case and that the suspicion was fully more a fact that Karkare’s assassination was plotted by people associated with the RSS to stop him from unmasking the face of RSS-inspired terror.

Former federal Minorities Minister A.R. Rehman Antulay too had triggered a controversy when he said that Karkare could have been a victim of “Terrorism or terrorism plus something. Former Inspector General of Police of Maharashtra Shamshuddin Miyalal Mushrif too had raised the killing of Karkare in his book “Who killed Karkare,” and indicated the involvement of Hindu organizations. And last week the lone surviving convicted alleged terrorist in the 26/11 Ajmal Amir Qasab also told the Bombay High Court that he had not killed Karkare.

Meanwhile Kavita Karkare, wife of the slain ATS chief, expressing her despair and displeasure at the politics being played over the sacrifices of the martyrs of 26/11, said that all this nonsense should be stopped immediately. “All these allegations and counter allegations between the Congress and the Hindu organizations are very unfortunate. No Hindu organizations are responsible for the killing of my husband. The claims made by Singh are not true. Karkare was never depressed. Only political opportunists like Singh are using the name of my husband. Singh has not till this day ever inquired about the families of the martyrs of 26/11. Therefore Singh should desist immediately from playing politics in the name of my husband,” Kavita added.