A tug of war over national security
like Swami Aseemanand involved? Then, be it the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts, Ajmer blasts, or the Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderabad where the original case was built up against local Muslims only to be later pinned on Right-wing Hindu groups, the country’s track record in successfully prosecuting terror cases is highly dodgy.
Sadly, by projecting terror through a partisan Hindu-Muslim prism, India’s political class has dangerously compromised national security. It is increasingly apparent now: Either the previous Congress-led government was lying or the present government is “protecting” the accused. There is now an equally disturbing “nationalist” narrative that has crept in: Challenging the official version is now an “anti-national” act, making it virtually impossible to separate hard facts from the ceaseless propaganda.
Where does this leave Karkare? Dead men can’t defend themselves so one can only hope that the State comes clean: Either “expose” Karkare’s investigation as a hitjob or stand firmly by him. The political tug of war over national security has left a professional policeman’s honour at stake.
Post-script: Just a few days before Purohit was granted bail, 10 anonymous Muslim men walked free after spending more than a decade in jail after the prosecution failed to prove their involvement in the 2005 Hyderabad suicide bomb case. Only this time, there were no noisy prime time debates, no “nationalist” outrage. The acquitted, quite simply it seems, belonged to the wrong religion.