Mail Today, 21 November 2010
Editorial
A prize catch indeed
THE arrest of Hindtuva ideologue Swami Asimanand, allegedly one of the main conspirators behind the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts of 2007 is yet another feather in the cap of the investigating agencies, which have had a number of successes against Hindutva terrorists in the recent past. It was only a few weeks back that the Rajasthan Anti- Terrorism Squad ( ATS) arrested Harshadbhai Solanki and Mukesh Vasani in connection with the Ajmer blasts.
This clearly shows that the different investigating agencies like the ATSs of Maharashtra and Rajasthan as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation have been coordinating their efforts more effectively. Asimanand’s arrest is particularly significant given the clout that he enjoyed with a number of politicians including Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.
In fact, the Gujarat government had consistently turned a blind eye to Asimanand’s terrorist activities which date back to much before the 2007 blasts. He was accused of instigating if not orchestrating attacks on Christians in the tribal- dominated Dangs district, where he had been active in reconversion efforts since 1996 . The fact that the investigators found it difficult to even disclose that they were after Asimanand is a testimony to the pressure they were under. This makes their success all the more creditable.
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