New Delhi, Feb.8 (ANI): Supporters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have accused the ruling Congress Party of indulging in votebank politics while protesting against Caravan Magazine for publishing a report that names RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as one of the people involved in the February 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that killed 68 people.
The RSS accusation was made after the magazine published audio tapes and transcripts of an interview with Swami Aseemanand, in which he allegedly blamed Bhagwat for bomb attacks on the Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and the Ajmer Dargah.
RSS supporter and a protester Satya Prakash said: “It is very unfortunate that the Congress Party is playing votebank politics. It is totally wrong and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will not tolerate this.”
Protesters shouted anti- Congress slogans and also burnt pages of the magazine on Friday.
Earlier in 2011, the National Investigative Agency had filed its charge-sheet against Aseemanand and four others, but the NIA officials could not prove charges against him.
Doubting the veracity of the magazine’s interview with Aseemanand, who is currently lodged in Ambala Central Jail, the RSS dubbed the interview as “rubbish and concocted”.
However, editor of the Caravan magazine, Vinod Jose, confirmed that the interview took place inside Ambala Jail with full consent of Swami Aseemanand.
“I can totally understand the pressure that’s on Swami Assemanand (blast accused) by his lawyers probably a battalion of lawyers might have reached in the jail. But the fact remains that the interview took place inside Ambala Jail with full consent of Swami Assemanand,” said Jose
Two homemade bombs exploded aboard a train bound from India to Pakistan burning to death at least 64 passengers in 2007.
Most of the victims were Pakistanis but included some Indians. Two other unexploded homemade bombs were also found on the train and the track.
The Samjhauta Express was carrying around 527 passengers. The dead included three railway policemen.
Samjhauta is Hindi for understanding or agreement. The rail link was restored in 1976, but severed again after an attack on New Delhi’s parliament in late 2001. It started up again in 2004.
While a hard-line Hindu group threatened to disrupt the service in 2000, suspicion for this attack is likely to fall on Muslim extremists opposed to the peace process between the South Asian rivals.