The Hindu : Advani sees 'terrorist hand' in Pandya murder

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 28, 2003

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Advani sees 'terrorist hand' in Pandya murder

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD MARCH 27. Even as police are still groping in the dark for clues to the murder here on Wednesday of the former Gujarat Minister of State for Home and Revenue, Haren Pandya, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, today said he suspected the involvement of terrorists and underworld dons.

Both Mr. Advani and the BJP national president, Venkaiah Naidu, ruled out any "political motive" behind the murder of Mr. Pandya.

"It is absurd to think about any political angle in the murder," Mr. Advani said while Mr. Naidu lambasted the Congress for bringing politics into such a tragic incident.

Mr. Pandya's body was cremated here this afternoon in the presence of Mr. Advani, Mr. Naidu, the Union Ministers, Kashiram Rana, Arun Jaitley and Harin Pathak, the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, his Cabinet colleagues, the former Chief Minister, Keshubhai Patel, and a host of his supporters and BJP workers.

The Pradesh Congress president, Shankarsinh Waghela, and some other Congress leaders also visited Mr. Pandya's residence to pay homage.

The Gujarat bandh call given by both the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the State Congress protesting the killing evoked a partial response.

Mr. Modi, who had forced Mr. Pandya to resign from his Cabinet last year and was also instrumental in denying him the BJP ticket for the December Assembly elections, again had a tough time when he reached Mr. Pandya's residence today.

Mr. Pandya's supporters booed and heckled him but the presence of Mr. Advani saved the situation. Mr. Advani also visited the spot of the crime near Law Garden after calling on Mr. Pandya's family members at his residence and later held meetings with senior police and Government officials at the circuit house.

He later denied that the State Government had withdrawn the security cover for Mr. Pandya. Mr. Advani said Mr. Pandya himself did not want the security cover but following the incident, he had asked the State Government to draw a list of people who might need security cover. Apparently suspecting a "terrorist hand" behind the murder, Mr. Advani said the unfortunate incident had proved that the mafia-terrorist nexus was still strong in the State.

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