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Patil: CBI will probe where required

Special Correspondent

BJP protests CPI(M) member’s remark
No link between Tenkasi and Nanded blasts: Ahluwalia

NEW DELHI: If local investigations require that in situations where one section of the people tried to create “bad blood” against another in the name of religion or ideology, the matter will be handed over to the CBI, Home Minister Shivraj Patil assured the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

He was replying to a question hour supplementary by Brinda Karat (CPI-M), who wanted to know whether the government would club the January 24 bomb blasts at a bus stand and outside the RSS office in Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu with the one in Nanded that occurred in 2006 and hand over the cases to the CBI.

“Selective concern”

Charging the Bharatiya Janata Party with showing “selective concern about national security,” she said there was a “diabolical conspiracy” by communal outfits to inflame passions.

This remark brought several BJP members to their feet.

Amidst interruptions, Mr. Patil said that in the Tenkasi incident, following the murder of a person allegedly by some Muslims, the victim’s brother and some others conspired to prepare bombs. One pipe bomb went off before the RSS office and another at a bus stop.

Their intention was to see that there was a clash between Hindus and Muslims, which, however, did not happen. They were subsequently arrested and some material was recovered from them. The matter was under investigation by the State government.

Ms. Karat sought to know whether the Centre would take it as a “solitary incident” or relate it to the blasts in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and order a CBI probe.

The Minister said that in one case in Nanded, some Bajrang Dal men were said to be involved and the investigation was handed over to the anti-terrorist squad. Later the matter was entrusted to the CBI. The reports of the anti-terrorist squad and the CBI were identical. “Unfortunately it is a reality that there are people trying to create bad blood among various sections,” he said.

There was a fresh round of pandemonium when the BJP’s S.S. Ahluwalia said there was no link between the Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra incidents.

“The mindset with which Ms. Karat had asked the question does create tension.”

Expressing concern at attempts to create communal tension, Mr. Patil said the bomb blasts in Ajmer, Benares, Mumbai, Aurangabad and other places showed that (communal) passions could be whipped up in the name of religion or even language. “We cannot blame any one sect. It is against different sects.”

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