Mumbai, (The Hindu): But arrested activists only termed as ‘purported’ Naxal supporters, says party

The Shiv Sena on Thursday said that while the killers of rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar should be punished, Hindus should not be dubbed “terrorists” in their own country by merely “adding up” different cases.

In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said the killings of Pansare, Dabholkar, journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and rationalist M.M. Kalburgi could be individual crimes and the mastermind may not be the same.

Referring to the recent police action against five activists for suspected Maoist links, the party said, “The Naxal supporters who had been arrested are termed ‘purported’ supporters of Naxalism, while Hindutvavadis are directly termed as Hindu extremists.”

It is surprising that Hindus, in their own country are termed terrorists, especially in the ‘Modi-Fadnavis’ regime, said the Sena.

The Sena did, however, praise Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying he was right in directing the police not to look right and left while taking action.

Earlier this month, the CBI arrested Sachin Andure, one of the alleged shooters in the Dabholkar murder case, and told a Pune court that the Dabholkar and Lankesh murders were linked. The Maharashtra ATS has also arrested five right-wing activists in connection with the seizure of a large cache of explosives and arms. The CBI recently sought custody of one of these five men, Sharad Kalaskar, to question him in the Dabholkar case, but its plea was rejected by a Mumbai court.

The Sena said that some days back, there were reports of a threat to the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With suspicion on Maoists, raids were carried out in several places.

However, the Sena said, only some threatening letters and were recovered from these people, while bombs, rifles and explosives were recovered from the ‘Hindutvavadis’.