Author: Express News Service
Publication: Expressindia.com
Date: November 12, 2008
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/malegaon-adityanath-dares-cong-ats/384595/
Names of three senior state leaders did the
rounds in Uttar Pradesh a day after a Nashik court allowed the Maharashtra
Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to question a "very very high profile"
person from UP in connection with the September 29 Malegaon blast probe.
The ATS is expected to travel to UP to pursue
what they say is a key lead but UP Addl DG (Law & Order) Brij Lal said
"we are yet to receive any specific information from the ATS if they
are on the lookout for a religious leader or any politician".
In Gorakhpur, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath accused
the Congress of "framing members of Hindu organisations in false cases"
and warned Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil not to try and initiate any action
against religious leaders in his Parliamentary constituency in connection
with the Malegaon case. He claimed the ATS had no evidence against activists
of Hindu organisations arrested for their alleged roles in the blast.
DIG Rajiv Krishna of the UP ATS said: "We
are unaware of any permission sought by our Mumbai counterparts from court
regarding the questioning of a UP leader. We are in constant touch with officials
there and are also providing information they have been seeking. But they
(Maharashtra ATS) have not yet told us if any leader has to be interrogated."
Intelligence sources said it was likely that
the ATS would turn up in UP only after collecting sufficient evidence to go
ahead with questioning of any leader on their radar. The ATS had asked their
UP counterparts to provide call details of some with close links to Hindu
outfits, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor
has described the alleged involvement of Lt Col Srikant Purohit in the Malegaon
blasts as an "aberration".
Speaking to NDTV in Uri in J&K, Gen Kapoor
said appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against Purohit if he is
found guilty. He promised to take corrective measures to ensure there is no
such recurrence in the force.
"Once everything gets proved, as far
as the officer is concerned, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken
as per the law of the Army," he said. "It (Purohit's involvement)
is yet to be proved but it may be an aberration".
