18 December 2008
Press release
MSD
asks Union Minister AR Antulay to resign
Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD) is shocked and horrified by
the highly irresponsible and outrageous statement of Union
Minister for Minorities, Mr Abdul Rehman Antulay. He has expressed
doubts over the identity of the killers of the former chief,
Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police, Mr. Hemant
Karkare, insinuating that the killing of Mr Karkare and his
colleagues in the ATS was the result of a conspiracy. The
suggestion is that it was the job of some Hindu extremist groups
in collusion with their sympathisers with men in uniform.
This
is a malicious and insensitive slander of the Mumbai police and
the ATS. In the ATS investigation of the Malegaon blast, Mr.
Karkare and his team had the full support of the Police
Commissioner of Mumbai, Mr. Hasan Ghafoor, DGP of Maharashtra, Mr.
AN Roy, then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Dy CM, Mr. RR
Patil. To allege otherwise is a shameful travesty of truth.
The
world is convinced – on the basis of evidence provided by the
Indian government – that the terrorists responsible for 26/11 came
from Pakistan and belonged to Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, a terrorist
outfit and a sworn enemy of India. That is why there is demand
from governments all over that the Pakistan government act, firmly
and swiftly against the Pakistan-based perpetrators of terror.
Not surprisingly, the Pakistan government is dragging its feet
claiming it has yet to be shown “incontrovertible evidence”. Very
surprisingly, and shockingly, Mr. Antulay, a minister in the Union
Cabinet, has similar doubts.
Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only surviving member among
the 10 Pakistani terrorists alive and presently under police
custody, has confessed that it was Ismail Khan – the other member
of this two-member killer squad – who gunned down Mr. Karkare and
other police officers and constables, all of whom were in the same
police vehicle. Kasab’s account tallies with that of police
constable Mr Jadhav, the lone survivor from among the policemen in
that same vehicle.
Since 26/11, Indian Muslims have joined all
fellow-Indians and spoken in one voice denouncing the attack on
India in the strongest words. They have unanimously declared that
mass murderers cannot be Muslims even if they have Muslim names.
Therefore, they announced there is no place in Muslim graveyards
for the nine gunned down terrorists. On December 7, thousands of
Muslims held silent marches in Mumbai and 10 other cities holding
banners that read: “Enemies of our Motherland are our enemies”,
“Killers of
innocents
are enemies of Islam”. On December 9, Muslims
across the country celebrated Eid with black bands around their
arms.
Through such spontaneous action and gestures
Muslims across the country played sent out a powerful message to
the enemies of India and Islam that all Indians stand united
against terror. Mr. Antulay’s outrageous statement is a gross
violation of the sentiment of national unity and amity.
It is one thing for some self-styled “conspiracy
theorists” to claim that behind all terror acts anywhere in the
world is the hand of Mossad-CIA. And that all terror acts in India
are the work of the sangh parivar in league with Mossad-CIA. But
it is an altogether different thing for a Union minister to lend
credence to such ridiculous nonsense with his own reckless
remarks.
Mr. Antulay owes an apology to the Mumbai police,
to all citizens of India and to Indian Muslims in particular. MSD
expects Mr Antulay to assume responsibility for his outrage and
immediately tender his resignation from the Union government.
Javed Akhtar
President
Sajid Rashid
Vice-President
Javed Anand
General Secretary
[email protected]
