Yesterday, Swami Aseemanand and three others were acquitted by the Special NIA Court at Panchkula in the 2007 Samjhauta Express Blast Case. The others acquitted were Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan, and Rajinder Chaudhary.
Along with expected lines, liberals have risen up in arms against the Court verdict. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said sarcastically that it was a “proud day” for the Judiciary in India.
2007 : Samjhauta Express Bomb Blast
68 killed
NIA charged 8 accusedVerdict : No one knows who killed the 68 victims
Must be a proud day for our criminal justice system !
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) March 21, 2019
However, unlike what Sibal would have us believe, we do have a fair idea about who is responsible for the terror attack that killed 68. The United Nations holds Arif Qasmani, a Pakistani national, responsible for the terror attack. He was sanctioned by the global body on the 29th of June, 2009.
The UN says, “Arif Qasmani was listed on 29 June 2009 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1822 (2008) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”; “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (QDe.118) and Al-Qaida (QDe.004).”
It adds further, “Arif Qasmani is the chief coordinator of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s (LeT) (QDe.118) dealings with other organizations and has provided significant support for LeT terrorist operations. Qasmani has worked with LeT to facilitate terrorist attacks, including the July 2006 train bombing in Mumbai, India, and the February 2007 Samjota Express bombing in Panipat, India. Qasmani utilized money that he received from Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar (QDi.135), an Indian crime figure and listed terrorism supporter, to facilitate the July 2006 train bombing in Mumbai, India. Qasmani also conducted fundraising activities on behalf of LeT in late 2005.”
Qasmani was known to provide financial assistance to terror organizations. The UN remarks, “Arif Qasmani has also provided financial and other support to Al-Qaida (QDe.004). As of late 2006, Qasmani provided funding to Al-Qaida members and facilitated the return of foreign fighters to their respective countries. Between 2004 and 2005, Qasmani provided Al-Qaida with supplies and weapons and facilitated the movement of Al-Qaida leaders in and out of Afghanistan. In return for Qasmani’s support, Al-Qaida provided him with operatives to support the July 2006 train bombing in Mumbai, India, and the February 2007 Samjota Express bombing in Panipat, India. Qasmani also facilitated the movement of Al-Qaida personnel out of Afghanistan in 2001. In 2005, Arif Qasmani provided Taliban leaders with a means to smuggle personnel, equipment and weapons into Afghanistan.”
RVS Mani, who served as undersecretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs from February 2006 to August 2010, too asserted that under the then UPA administration Qasmani had escaped while the government was busy creating the bogey of Hindu terror. He had stated that Qasmani had claimed the responsibility for the blasts. Also, later links to SIMI and other such organisations were exposed. He had remarked that in all the years of his service he has never come across a single actionable input regarding Hindu Terror and the term was deliberately coined.
Mani told ANI last year in June, “I’ve said this earlier too that there was no official information on Hindu terror till 2010. Even after that, there was no such thing. I’ve written a book which clearly states how Digvijay Singh laid the foundation of Hindu terror and spread it.” “In name of Hindu terror, he saved real terrorists using government resources. Arif Qasmani, the accused Samjhauta Express blast had escaped. In Mecca Masjid blast case, Bilal escaped. I don’t know his political agenda but there’s no Hindu terror,” he added.
Thus, it appears, unlike what Sibal would have us believe, we do have a fair idea about who is possibly responsible for the Samjhauta blast. Of course, Congress leaders would have hoped for the conviction of Hindus regardless of their guilt as it would have deflected attention from the despicable efforts it made to perpetuate a mythical narrative on Hindu terror.
