Author: Syed Firdaus Ashraf in
Mumbai
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: November 14, 2002
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/nov/14fird.htm
Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Jayant
Rao Chitale on Thursday clarified he had formed a 'Hindustan suicide squad'
and not a 'Hindu suicide squad' dismissing reports that his outfit has
links with the Shiv Sena.
Speaking to rediff.com over telephone
from Pune, Lt Col Chitale said, "I have Muslims and Christians also in
this suicide squad and to call our squad as Hindu suicide squad would be
wrong."
Lt Col Chitale, who calls himself
as the dictator of 'Maharashtra Military Foundation', said a person has
to register himself in order to be admitted to the suicide squad.
Media reports had said the 'suicide
squad' drew its inspiration from the recent call of the Sena chief to form
'Hindu suicide squads' to tackle terrorism in India.
"Ours is a truly secular suicide
squad. Every Indian is welcome to join my suicide squad. I don't know why
people are giving this a communal touch. Moreover, let me clarify that
I am not a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or any other right wing
party or organisation," Lt Col Chitale said.
The training session for the suicide
squad, which includes the use of lathis and swords, takes place near Vasat
Village at Ambernath, an industrial town, which is more than 50 kilometres
away from Mumbai.
Lt Col Chitale said a batch of 30
students has passed out from the training camp in the last 15 days.
"I have been requesting the government
for the last three years to form this suicide squad," he said. "I have
sent letters to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President Abdul
Kalam and the army chief about the formation of these suicide squads, but
there was no response. So, I started the training programme."
Asked what would his recruits do,
he said, "The Pakistanis have disturbed the internal peace in India and
my suicide squads will do the same thing in Pakistan."
Interestingly, Lt Col Chitale has
been supported by Lt Col (retired) Lt Gen P N Hoon and a few other ex-servicemen
belonging to the Shiv Sena.
Lt Gen Hoon, however, told rediff.com
that neither the Sena chief nor Uddhav Thackeray are backing this programme.
"I totally deny such allegations that Balasaheb or Uddhav have given me
permission to start such a programme. We have started this on our own because
the country needs such youth to tackle terrorism. I am also stating that
this is not a communal set up as portrayed by some people," he said.
"Today, the country is being destroyed
by the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan. And we have to do something
about it. So, we feel that these suicide squads are the answer for the
Pakistanis," he added.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government
has ordered an inquiry into the issue and asked Lt Col Chitale to clarify
his stance.
Speaking to a news agency on the
sidelines of a CII seminar on biotechnology in Mumbai, Chief Minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh said, "Since many versions about the suicide training camp were
received, we have asked for a thorough investigation into it by the police
and intelligence."
The police has been asked to submit
the report in the next few days, he said, without giving an exact date
for the submission of the report.
Thane Police Commissioner S M Shangari
said the investigation has already been been initiated into the issue.
