Sumitra Mahajan: Hemant Karkare martyr but his role as ATS chief not above board

Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP’s eight-term MP from Indore Sumitra Mahajan on Monday said that Karkare “became a martyr” because he died in line of duty but claimed that his role as the chief of Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) was not above board.

“There are two aspects to Hemant Karkare. He became a martyr because he died in line of duty, but if his role as a police officer was not correct, we will say it was not correct,’’ said Mahajan, as reported by The Indian Express.

Mahajan also alleged that Congress’ Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh — contesting opposite Thakur — was a ‘friend of Karkare’.

She said when Singh was the Madhya Pradesh CM, he frequently accused the RSS of making bombs and being a terror outfit. She alleged that arrests made by Maharashtra ATS from Indore were at the behest of the former CM.

Digvijaya, responding to Mahajan’s remarks, tweeted: “Sumitra tai, I am proud that you associate me with Ashoka Chakra winner martyr Hemant Karkare. Your associates may insult him but I have always backed those talking about country’s interest, national unity and integrity.’’

Recently, BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case and currently out on bail, had said that Karkare was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as she had “cursed” him for “torturing” her while he was probing the 2008 Malegaon blast case.