MUMBAI: An aging Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray is known for creating controversies. In an editorial in his party mouthpiece Saamna yesterday, Thackeray lashed out at the wife and daughter of slain Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare and questioned their wisdom that the lone arrested Mumbai terror terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Qasab should be pardoned on “humanitarian grounds.”
Launching an attack on Kavita Karkare and his daughter, Thackeray said that the country did not share their stance of pardoning the alleged terrorist as he had committed a heinous crime. He said that though the Karkare family may have their own opinion, it is not the opinion of the family members of the 15 other policemen that were killed in the November terror attacks.
Thackeray quoted the sentiments expressed by the daughter of constable Tukaram Ombale, who was alleged to have been killed by the bullets fired by Qasab, that the souls of the slain 16 policemen will get peace only if Qasab is hanged.
Kavita, in her interview to several print and electronic media journalists had said that her daughter who is studying in London feels that Qasab should be pardoned and given another opportunity to live a civilized so that he can realize what a grave and heinous crime he has committed.
In a double speak outbursts, Thackeray also did not spare the former ATS chief. On the one hand he said that Karkare’s “martyrdom” and “sacrifice” he respected, but on the other hand he wrote that the ATS was formed to counter terrorists and foil their attacks like that of Nov. 26 in Mumbai.
But Karkare left that task and job aside and got entangled in Malegaon blast case. He alleged that the arrest of Army officer Prasad Purohit in the Malegaon blast case was nothing but an attempt to appease the Muslims and done under political pressure.
Thackeray did not even spare Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Congress party President Sonia Gandhi, and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said that Priyanka wanted Nalini, the killer of her father Rajiv to be pardoned. “What she should know was that Nalini had not only killed her father but also a former prime minister of India and, besides him, 90 other innocent people were also killed. Who will compensate for the trauma and sufferings of those 90 people killed by Nalini,” he asked.
