'Insult Of People Killed In 26/11 Attacks': BJP's Ujjwal Nikam Rubbishes Cong Leader's Allegations In Hemant Karkare's Death

Ujjwal Nikam, the BJP’s candidate for the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, slammed Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar’s claim that senior IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed by the firearm of an “RSS-linked” police officer and not by bullets fired by Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Nikam on Sunday, a prosecutor in the trial against Kasab, who was sentenced to death for his role in the 26/11 terror attack, criticised opposition leaders for creating unnecessary doubt in people’s minds about the judiciary.

“I pity that irresponsible opposition leader for making restless and baseless allegations that could benefit the government of Pakistan. I don’t know on what basis he is making such claims. It’s surprising that while engaging in politics, you are tarnishing the image of our country,” Nikam told CNN-News18.

The BJP candidate also stated that opposition leaders are disrespecting the people who died during the 26/11 attack by making such allegations.

“It’s is an insult to those who died in the 26/11 attacks… This shows they’re afraid of my candidacy. They’re spreading false news like this,” he added.

Nikam also revealed that before his execution, Kasab had confessed to a magistrate that he and Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) recruit Ismail Khan had indiscriminately fired at a police jeep during the Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of Karkare and two other police officers in the squad.

On Saturday, Vijay Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, purportedly called Ujjwal Nikam as “anti-national” and accused him of concealing information suggesting that the then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare wasn’t killed by Kasab’s bullet during the 26/11 terror attack, but rather by a bullet fired by a policeman affiliated with RSS.

“Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets from terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, but by a policeman associated with RSS,” Wadettiwar claimed.

However, on Sunday, Wadettiwar retracted his statements, citing that what he had said was sourced from a book written by S.M. Mushrif, former Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra.

(With inputs from agencies)

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