By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: A 34-member Malegaon delegation of various political and non-political organizations met Maharashtra Home Minister Jayant Patil and ATS Chief Raghuvanshi on 4th February and handed over them memorandum demanding a re-probe in September 2006 Malegaon blasts and release of innocent Muslims.
Bada Qabrastan and Mushawarat Chowk serial bomb blasts to ensure the release of innocent Muslims.
The delegation told Jayant Patil that citizens of Malegaon and its every small and big organization feel that the Muslim youths, arrested in connection with the blasts at Mushawarat Chowk and Bada Qabarstan on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat on September 8, 2006, are innocent. They said people want an unbiased re-investigation in the case so that innocents may be discharged in the same way as the accused in Hyderabad Makkah Masjid blasts were acquitted.
Baland Iqbal, one of the representatives, expressed his concern that ATS arrested only 11 persons in Malegaon Bhikko Chowk blasts. He added that the connection of the accused with Nepal King and foreign agencies indicates a vast network behind the blast.
The delegates also demanded that the cases should be heard in fast track courts and all further investigation should be made public to remove suspicions.
The representatives showed their anger over the soft attitude of central and state governments towards the Hindu radical organizations that want to convert democratic India into Hindu Rashtra and change the Constitution. They questioned as to why no ban was imposed on radical Hindu outfits like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Jagran Samiti, Abhinav Bharat, Ram Sena and Sanatan Prabhat while their activists were involved in many blasts that took place in Jalna, Parbhani, Nanded, Nagpur, Malegaon and Thane etc.
Besides, the delegate demanded an investigation of those who supported the Bhikko Chowk blasts accused and greeted them with flowers and to arrest them under POTA and MCOCA.
In an attempt to satisfy the delegation Jayant Patil said that he would put before the government the name of someone trustworthy in Malegaon people’s eyes if they really feel that Malegaon blast probe is not going in right direction. He also said that he would visit Malegaon soon and talk to people on this matter.
ATS chief Raghuvanshi removed the doubts of people and said that the probe so far was unbiased. He added that he helped Karkare to arrest Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya. Raghuvanshi said that since the Malegaon blast accused have challenged MCOCA in SC and HC, the case cannot go ahead until the verdict comes.
The delegation included Nihal Ahmad, Buland Iqbal, Nihal Ahmad (Janata Dal), Dr Raees Ahmad, Rizwi Saleem Shahzad, (Raza Academy), Yusuf Seth, Sufi Ghulam Rasool Qadri (All India Sunni Jamiatul Islam) Mufti Shakeel Ahmad (Third Front), Abdul Malik (Jamiat Ulama), Yousuf Ilyas (Malegaon Taluqa Sangharsh Samiti), Prof. Abdul Majeed Siddiqi of Sunni Rizwi Educational Society and others.