Chief Minister Ashok Chavan told the Legislative Council on Tuesday that the confidential probe report by the Ram Pradhan committee into the 26/11 attacks had not been leaked to the media. On objections raised by the Opposition leaders about V Bhalachandran,the other member of the two-member high-level committee,expressing dissatisfaction over the role of the police during the attacks on his blog,Chavan said he would enquire into the matter. He also assured the House that he would speak to the panel members about talking to the media.
Refuting allegations by the Opposition that the report submitted by the committee headed by former IAS official Ram Pradhan was revealed to the media,Chavan said,The report was submitted to me in the presence of media. Panel member Ram Pradhan merely lauded young police officers for their work during the attacks. It does not mean that the report was leaked. It would be tabled in the House before the end of the ongoing session of the Legislature.
I havent read the report because it was given to the Chief Secretary for further action, he added. Dissatisfied with the CMs reply,the Opposition leaders staged a walkout from the House.
Earlier in the day,the Opposition leaders raised slogans and demanded a discussion on the issue in the House and sought a reply from the Government. Reading out newspaper clippings quoting Pradhans comments even before the report was tabled in the House,Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote demanded immediate discussion on it. We came to know about the report through media. In fact,it should have been tabled in the House first, Raote said. The Council was adjourned four times on the issue.
Meanwhile,special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam,who is leading the evidence against terrorist Ajmal Kasab in the Mumbai terror attack case,said the Mumbai Police have substantial evidence against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed. This flip-flop by the Pakistani Government will not affect our case as we have already provided substantial evidence,including the confessional statement of Kasab that proves his role and also states the reason for the attack on Mumbai, he said.