Digvijay’s remarks on Karkare unfortunate, says BJP

NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday termed as “unfortunate” the remarks of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh that Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare had spoken to him about the threats to his life from some Hindu groups just hours before he was killed in the 2008 terror attack.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking to reporters here, said: “His comments are unfortunate, and we condemn it.”

Singh said that that Karkare called him up a few hours before he was killed in the 2008 terror attack and told him about threats from Hindu organisations as he was probing the Malegaon blast case in which some Hindu groups are allegedly involved.

“He should not compromise with the country’s security, and he is the one who went to Azamgarh (in Uttar Pradesh) and fetched a lot of criticism, and the Congress had to apologise,” Prasad said about Digvijay Singh.

Singh had gone to Azamgarh where many of those involved in the Sept 13, 2008, Delhi serial bombings belonged and spoke to their families.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Singh said that Karkare was “pained” over criticism by some BJP leaders of his (Karkare’s) role in probing the alleged involvement of some Hindu groups in the Malegaon blast.

“I came to know of the criticism… Rajnath Singh and others were putting questions on his credibility. He was pained,” Singh said.