Thackeray says Hindus must help blast accused

Two days after Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray refrained from making comments on the arrests in the Malegaon blasts case...

Two days after Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray refrained from making comments on the arrests in the Malegaon blasts case, party supremo Bal Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at pro-Hindutva groups for 8220;disowning8221; the accused and asked the legal community to come forward to defend the trio.

8220;The entire Hindu community should support the Sadhvi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay and Samir Kulkarni, who are being framed by the ATS,8221; Bal Thackeray said in an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna.

Bal said that though he did not support any kind of terrorism that 8220;weakens the country8221; and regretted the loss of life in the Malegaon blasts, he did not 8220;blame8221; those who planted the bombs for resorting to violence. 8220;Every day Islamic terrorists are planting bombs to kill Hindus in India. The latest blasts in Assam, too, were engineered by Bangladeshi migrants. If a Sadhvi Pragya or a Ramesh Upadhyay or a Samir Kulkarni is born in the present milieu, they cannot be blamed,8221; said the editorial. 8220;If the pseudo secularists in the country are supportive of Afzal Guru Parliament attack convict, why should we not love and be proud of Sadhvi Pragya, Ramesh Upadhyay and Samir Kulkarni?8221;

Alleging that the ATS machinery was being used at the behest of the Congress, which is trying to appease Muslims for political reasons, the piece said, 8220;the arrests of cultured and educated individuals in connection with the Malegaon blasts is an effort to crush Hindus to please Muslim fanatics in the country8221;.

8220;We think that these persons are being framed and labelled as Hindu terrorists. There is no need for Hindus to do terrorism in Hindustan. In this case, we will extend all support, legal and other to them. No one need to criticise our step as other accused like Dawood Ibrahim8217;s brother and Afzal Guru are being supported in this country,8221; said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP.

The editorial asked, 8220;What is the exact definition of Hindu terrorism, ATS will have to spell out. We fear that even if Muslim terrorists carry out bomb blasts in the country, the blame will be put on Hindu organisations.8221;