Hindu Terror
Page 7
यानी लोग� के मन म� संशय का िनमार्ण करना क्या ठीक है? और जो पािक�तान की भूिमका है, वही भूिमका जब भारत सरकार के एक मंतर्ी उठाते ह�, तो म� नहीं समझता हूं िक उन्ह� मंितर्मंडल म� रहने की कोई जरूरत है। इसिलए हम चाहते ह� िक इस िवषय को छोड़ना नहीं चािहए। यह िवषय लोक सभा म� भी उठा और बाहर भी उठा, हर न्यूजपेपर ने िनवेदन िकया िक ऐसे मंतर्ी को िनकालने की आव�यकता है, लेिकन यह बात होने के बावजूद अंतुले जी कहते ह� िक म�ने जो कहा, वह ठीक है और म� यह नहीं समझता हूं िक उनकी पाटीर् अभी तक उनके िव�� कु छ कायर्वाही क्य� नहीं करती है? म� यह मानने को तैयार नहीं हूं िक जो मंतर्ी ऐसी भूिमका लेगा िक जो भूिमका पािक�तान को मंजूर है, ऐसी भूिमका लेने वाले मंतर्ी को के वल इ�तीफा देकर नहीं, उनको गवनर्म�ट के मंितर्मंडल से िनकालना चािहए और यही हमारी मांग है, इसिलए म� यहां खड़ा हुआ हूं। म� चाहता हूं िक इस िवषय को छोड़ना नहीं चािहए। सभी लोग� ने एकमत से यहां एक ��ताव मंजूर िकया, वैसे ही एकमत से लोग� को कहना चािहए िक जो आदमी देश के िखलाफ बोलता है, उसको मंितर्मंडल म� रहने का कोई भी अिधकार नहीं। ...(�यव�ान)...
�ी सािबर अली (िबहार): उपसभापित महोदय, ...(�यव�ान)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: No, no. ...(Interruptions)... There is no notice. In Zero Hour, nobody is allowed in this manner. (Interruptions) Please. Let us observe the ...(Interruptions)... There are other members also. ...(Interruptions)...
�ी मनोहर जोशी:इसिलए म� चाहता हूं िक तुरंत इस िवषय पर कायर्वाही हो और यिद गवनर्म�ट इस िवषय पर कु छ कायर्वाही करने को तैयार नहीं है, तो म� नहीं सोचता हूं िक हम गवनर्म�ट का िनषेध करने के बगैर रह सकते ह�, हम� भी गवनर्म�ट का िनषेध करना पड़ेगा। ...(समय की घंटी)... मेरी �ाथर्ना है िक अंतुले जी का इ�तीफा तुरंत लेने की आव�यकता है।
�ी उपसभापित:�ी भारतकु मारराऊत, बोिलए। ...(�यव�ान)...
�ी एस.एस. अहलुवािलया:सर, संिवधान के अनुसार ...(�यव�ान)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: I have called Mr. Raut ...(Interruptions)... No, no. Please.
...(Interruptions)... Mr. Raut, please speak. ...(Interruptions)... Please don't ask for time. ...(Interruptions)... आप बैिठए। Nothing will go on record except what Mr. Raut says. ...(Interruptions)... आप बैिठए ...(�यव�ान)... Mr. Raut, please start. ...(Interruptions)... आप बैिठए।
�ी सािबर अली: *
�ी एस.एस. अहलुवािलया: *
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Please आप बैिठए। Nothing will go on record except what Mr. Raut
says. ...(Interruptions)... सािबर अली जी, आपको िलखकर देना चािहए था बोलने के िलए।
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT (Maharashtra): Sir, I stand here to support the feelings expressed by hon. Member, Shri Ahluwaliay ji and, my leader, Shri Manohar Joshi ji.
Sir, I wish to express the deep anguish and anger of the people of Maharashtra, in particular, and, the people of India, in general.
Sir, he is a Minister of the Union Cabinet who has been entrusted with the responsibility of running the Government and running the nation. Is he a Minister of the Indian Government, or, **
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Please remove these words from record.
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT: Sir, I make a statement that this is because he has been playing in the hands of Pakistan.
*Not recorded.
** Exoybged as ordered by the Chair.
�� उपसभापित: 'Minister of Pakistan' िनकाल दीिजए।
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT: Sir, it is not an abrupt statement. ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Please remove it. ...(Interruptions)...
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT: It seems that ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: That is different. ...(Interruptions)... That is different. ...(Interruptions)... You can't call him a Minister of Pakistan. ...(Interruptions)... आप बैिठए। वे बोल रहे ह�। ...(����ा�)...कु छ िरकॉडर् म� नहीं जाएगा।
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT: Sir, the incident happened ...(Interruptions)... The incident happened on 26th and Mr. Antulay raised the issue on 17th. So, what was he doing for 21 days? Why did he choose this time? He chose this time very meticulously, with the great design, when the House, the Lok Sabha, was discussing the NIA Bill and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Bill. At that time, outside the House, he raised this issue. If he wanted to have a sincere effort, he could have raised this issue within the House, as a Member of the House. Why did he choose to go out of the House, called the television channels and raised the issue there? It is a design to create an atmosphere of suspicion; it is a design to disturb the fabric of socio-religious harmony and unity of this country. Sir, I make a statement that it is the responsibility of the Prime Minister now ...(Interruptions)... It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister now first to take apology from him and then sack him from the Ministry. Both things are equally important. First he should be apologised because then only the Government can say that it is not party to it. After that he should be sacked. ...(Interruptions)...
SHRI MANOHAR JOSHI: Sir, the Government should respond on it.
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: I can't force the Government to response.
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT; In this connection, let me again tell you that if the Government ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Please. ...(Interruptions)... Please, Mr. Jethmalani, I request you ...(Interruptions)... Because during Zero Hour, if I allow you to speak, I will have to allow every one. ...(Interruptions)...
SHRI BHARATKUMAR RAUT: Lok Sabha should have some instrument by which Antulay is impeached. We should impeach him if the Government fails to sack him. (Time-bell rings) That is the feeling of the people in general. Thank you. ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Zero Hour is over. ...(Interruptions)... We will now take up the Science and Engineering Research Board Bill, 2008.
...(Interruptions)...
______
Re. Statement by Government
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING (SHRI V. NARAYANSAMY): Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, I would like to respond. ...(Interruption
s)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: I think, the Government is responding. ...(Interruptions)... SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY: I would like to respond, Sir. ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Mr. Narayanasamy wants to respond. ...(Interruptions)... The
Minister wants to respond.
�� रामदास अगर्वाल (राज��ान): सर, ...(��व�ा�)...
�� उपसभापित: आप बैिठए। वे बोल रहे ह�। ...(��व�ा�)...कु छ िरकॉडर् म� नहीं जाएगा। ...(Interruptions)...
Nothing will go on record. ...(Interruptions).. Mr. Sabir Ali, please sit down. ...(Interruptions)... Nothing will go on record. ...(Interruptions)... आप बैिठए। ...(��व�ा�)...सािबर अली जी, म� कह रहा हूं िक आप �ली� बैठ जाइए। ...(��व�ा�)...
SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY: Hon. Deputy Chairman, Sir, the hon. Members have expressed their feelings in the august House. The hon. Minister for External Affairs has already mentioned in the Lok Sabha that the Government will respond on the issue that the hon. Members have raised as regards our senior Cabinet colleague Shri Antulayji. The Government's response will definitely be coming to this House also. ...(Interruptions)... Kindly have some patience. ...(Interruptions)... We will tell you. We are going to sit up to 23rd of this month. Therefore, the Government will definitely come forward and explain the position. ...(Interruptions)...
SHRI MANOHAR JOSHI (Maharashtra): I need your ...(Interruptions)...
MR. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Mr. Manohar Joshi ji, the Government have assured to come out with a statement. That is sufficient. ...(Interruptions)... We will now take up the Science and Engineering Research Board Bill, 2008. Mr. Kapil Sibal. ...(Interruptions)...
________
Now I will briefly explain the relationship between
GOVERNMENT BILLS
Parliament and government in respect of furnishing of
The Science and Engineering Research Board Bill, 2008
information. A Member of Parliament has every right to ask for
THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL): Sir, I beg to move: information available with the government and its policies and proposed steps etc. This can be done through several enabling "That the Bill to provide for the constitution of a Board for promoting basic research in Science
Rules framed by both Houses of Parliament which provides for instruments like Starred Questions for oral answers, Unstarred
agencies for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, as passed Questions for written answers, Short Notice Questions, Half-an
by Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration".
hour discussions, Calling the Attention of the Government etc.
Sir, the Science and Engineering Research Board Bill, 2008 seeks to set up a Science and
Engineering Research Board for promoting basic research in the country. Sir, I want to point out that If, during the relevant allotted time of discussion, an information sought by the Member cannot be fully provided, the replying Minister makes a promise on behalf of the government,
which is known as an ‘assurance’. The statement of deputy minister V Narayanaswamy, who was replying on behalf of the Minister, as you have read, became an assurance. Since the domain was that of the Ministry of Home Affairs, we had to fulfil this promise. You can sense how challenging it must have been to fulfil this promise.
The second fact in my knowledge that agitates me even ten years since the incident is that the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Chitkala Zutshi of the Government of Maharashtra, was present within the Taj Hotel when the attack began.
I remember Peter, the CRPF Commandant manning the Control Room, asking me in jest if this officer had gone to Taj to inaugurate the attack. This was as soon as we came to know that this officer was present there at the time of the attack.
According to the information we received, Zutshi was escorted out of Taj Mahal Hotel even while the attack was in progress, without even a scratch. This officer must have been one of the few persons who got out of the Taj Mahal Hotel after the attacks began. In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, in 2009, Zutshi said that her presence at the Taj Mahal Hotel was to attend a personal dinner.
Normally there is a joke that bureaucrats ke jeb se paisa nahi nikalta (meaning, money doesn’t come out of a bureaucrat’s pocket). This includes me. At the same time, one must remember that both, the CCS Conduct Rules applicable to central services and corresponding provision under the All-India Services, do permit that a casual meal etc can be accepted as a gift. Hence, there is no violation of the Conduct Rules involved here.
To clear the air of suspicion, Additional Chief Secretary Zutshi could have come clean by revealing the name of the host who was with her in the hotel. If the bureaucrat herself was the host, it would have been appropriate for her to reveal who she was hosting that evening. This would have helped clear the air of suspicion around her presence at the Taj that evening when the most horrendous carnage was perpetrated on the city of Mumbai. Excerpts of her interview:
Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Chitkala Zutshi: I was at the Taj with friends for dinner when we heard gunshots around 9.35 pm. We realised it was a terrorist attack. Luckily, the terrorists didn’t come to where we were on the first floor. For seven hours, we were stuck there. I made several calls to policemen and officials I knew. I also had an additional responsibility because of my job. Around 4.30 am, the firemen finally rescued us.
In the book, The Siege - Attack on Taj, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott Clarke have captured the entire events that happened at the Taj Hotel on that night. It is evident from their well-researched work, in which they closely interviewed the survivors including the Managers and other employees of Taj Mahal Hotel, no one was reported to have escaped once the terrorist took charge of the hotel till they were rescued by the NSG. This included powerful bankers, influential businessmen etc. How come that Zutshi’s escape does not find a mention anywhere? And not one of the ‘friends’ with her, who also presumably escaped with her, have so far spoken up.
Importantly, the person who escaped was a senior serving bureaucrat of the State government discharging responsibility inter alia of securing the same places which were penetrated by terrorists. They came from the same route about which this officer had inputs from the Union government. Still the officer was present, as per her own admission, at the attack site with ‘friends’ safely, and escaped unharmed.
What is intriguing about this officer’s presence is that inputs about such attacks had always been shared with the Chief Secretary/DGP and Home Department of the government of Maharashtra. This officer was privy to all such inputs. According to the laid-down procedure, the input/s after perusal by the Chief Secretary lands straight on the desk of the Additional Chief Secretary of the domain concerned. Zutshi was the concerned domain officer. Hence the officer could not have been oblivious to the inputs and the potential threat. To me personally, the presence of the officer and her subsequent escape unscathed does not appear a mere coincidence.
More importantly, I will recall the transcripts of certain calls between the handlers and the perpetrators of the attack at the Mumbai Taj. This conversation has been included in the dossier submitted to Pakistan. There is a reference to three Cabinet Ministers and one Secretary in the transcripts. The handler states that ‘they are assets’.
Greetings! There are three Ministers and one Secretary of the Cabinet in your hotel. We don’t know in which room. Oh! That is good news. It is the icing on the cake.
Find those 3-4 persons and then get whatever you want from India.
Under the circumstances, how is it that this Additional Chief Secretary (Zutshi) was left unscathed in the attack?
The terrorists came via the sea route and reached
Colaba. Thereafter, they walked through the fishermen’s colony, came over to Badhwar Park. Thereafter, they travelled around Mumbai as if they had been living in the city for ages. Even after a decade, it all sounds like a fairy tale.
I for one, from day one, have been of the view that these intruders could not have walked through the fishermen’s colony or travelled from Badhwar Park to their respective locations without local support. Local support with so much of inputs (like who were present inside the Taj hotel) being available at the highest level, this support could not have been without backing of any institutional-level mechanism or without some strong political or powerful group’s backing.
When the situation had been brought under control, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, made a customary visit to the locations, within a few days of the incidents. He was accompanied by film producers. Was he trying to sell this as a film plot is a question that often crops up. If so, had the political establishment partnered the perpetrators and their supporters is another questions that begs an answer.
These are questions which have agitated me not only because of the certain unfortunate experiences I underwent in the days following the attacks and the revelations after the incidents, but also because of several other sequences of events. Suffice it to say that any one joining the dots cannot rule out the possibility and infer that many members of the governments of the day or persons having the blessings of the respective governments had partnered, harboured and covered up for the perpetrators. This is a strong statement but I have seen the records, been privy to many discussions, formal and informal, and so such an inference is being drawn.