Pakistan has formally registered a strong protest with New Delhi over its decision not to contest the bail of one of the masterminds of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts, which had killed 68 people, including 42 Pakistani travelers to that country, writes Abdul Zahoor Khan Marwat.

The development is a shocking decision by all accounts. According to a Foreign Office statement, “The Indian deputy high commissioner was called in by the director general (SA & Saarc) today and a protest was lodged against the decision of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) not to contest the bail granted to Swami Asimanand on Special Leave Permission,” the FO said in a statement.

It said the government of Pakistan had serious reservations about the efficiency of the court in processing and disposing of cases regarding terrorism, especially those involving the deaths of Pakistani citizens. “No action has been taken by the Indian authorities against the mastermind and perpetrator of this dastardly attack,” the FO stated.

It said the government of Pakistan expected India to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of terrorism on the Samjhauta Express, in which 42 innocent Pakistani citizens lost their lives.

Not too long ago, in a damning confession before an Indian magistrate, Makkah Masjid terror blast accused, Hindu right-wing leader Swami Asimanand, had exposed his links with various terror plots across the country. He had confessed to being directly involved in the Samjhauta Express blasts that killed 68, mostly Pakistanis, in 2007.

According to weekly Tehelka, more seriously for India and its armed forces, there was also a nexus between the Hindu terror elements and Indian military intelligence officers. Both were involved in bomb attacks on the Samjhauta Express and mosques in Hyderabad, Ajmer Sharif and Malegaon.

Tehelka and other reports published in the Indian media stated that RSS members, senior politicians,

retired and serving army officers were part of the conspiracy to subvert every institution in the country.

It is important to remember that India had blamed Pakistan or Pakistan sponsored elements for the Samjhauta Express and Makkah Masjid blasts in Hyderabad Deccan.

But Hindu extremist Swami Asimanand confessed that leaders of different Hindu communal organisations had planned, financed and supported these terrorist attacks. These groups included Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Abhinav Bharat, Jai Vande Matram and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. He revealed that ‘Sangh Parivar’ has been exploiting the Hindutva philosophy to foment communal violence in India.

Another character involved in the scheme of things, Indian Army Colonel Prohit had also confessed to his involvement in the Samjhauta blast. The investigation of Indian extremists had revealed that the Hindu terrorists were working to cause an armed conflict between Pakistan and India. This was confirmed by Colonel Prohit.

The agenda of these Hindu terror groups was to end India’s democracy and its secular status and create a conservative Hindu state in its place. The terrorists wanted to target the Indian Muslims besides other minorities, which are already sidelined by the majority. These groups had deep penetration in the Indian Army. In fact, there was covert support for the Saffron terror groups among the uniformed personnel. According to Tehelka, the Indian Army seemed to rally behind them. It was also found there was also some kind of support for these terrorists among Indian politicians, officials and policemen.

There has been realisation among saner elements like Rahul Gandhi that the growth of Hindu extremists presents a greater threat to India than the Muslim militants. According to WikiLeaks reports, Rahul Gandhi told the US ambassador, Timothy Roemer, the bigger threat lies in the growth of radicalised Hindu groups, which create religious conflicts, political tensions and political confrontations with the Muslim community.

Essentially making the point, infiltration of Hindutva forces into the Indian Army and intelligence agency is a serious development for the so-called largest democracy in the world. Also, granting bail to Hindu extremist Swami Asimanand leads to a parallel version of truth to the terrorist attack, a real disconnect to the unfortunate episode that attempts to conceal the Saffron terror.

