National

Godhra: Gujarat Govt. claims it has proof of Pak. hand

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR March 13. The Gujarat Government claims it possesses ``evidence'' that will prove Pakistan's involvement in the Godhra train carnage and the terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in the State capital.

This was claimed on the floor of the Assembly here today by the State Home Minister, Amit Shah, while replying to a debate on the budgetary demands of his department.

Claiming that both the train carnage and the temple attack had been carried out at the behest of Pakistan, Mr. Shah said the State Government would soon ``reveal'' the evidence that would prove Pakistan's hands in the heinous crimes.

Alleging that the post-Godhra communal riots were also ``sponsored'' by Pakistan, Mr. Shah said Pakistan's aim was to create communal tension in the border State through these activities and was able to achieve its goal. He claimed that certain ``religious organisations'' based in the State also played a major role in spreading tension but he declined to name these organisations at this stage.

He said the arrest of the local Moulvi in Godhra, Moulana Hussain Umaraji, was a ``significant breakthrough'' in the investigation. Umaraji, had large following in Godhra, was found to be connected with a Pakistan-based terrorist organistion, Tabliq-e-Jammait.

Mr. Shah said besides engineering communal riots, pushing in fake currency notes from across the border, and smuggling in drugs and arms and ammunition in large scale were all part of Pakistan's ``covered terrorism'' in Gujarat where it was facing its ``litmus test'' of proxy war and cross-border terrorism in India.

The Minister said that realising the connections between each of these activities, the Gujarat Government had asked the anti-terrorist squad of the State police and the CID (Crime) to directly handle the cases of smuggling of fake currency and narcotics instead of the district police making a routine inquiry.

He said that in view of the sensitive nature of Gujarat's land and sea borders, it had recommended the take-over by patrolling the State's 512-km land border with Pakistan and its 1,600 km coastline by the Central forces and the Army. The Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, during a recent meeting in Delhi on internal security, had suggested to the Centre the creation of a committee involving the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Border Security Force, the Army and other Central forces to work in close cooperation with the local people to guard the State's land and sea borders.

Mr. Shah had a dig at the Congress which he said opposed the application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act against the accused in the Godhra carnage

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