Politics over 26/11 martyrs extremely painful, says Mumbai terror attack lawyer Ujjwal Nikam

Bhandara (Maharashtra) [India], Apr 19 (ANI): Politics over 26/11 martyrs is extremely painful, said eminent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as the special public prosecutor in Mumbai terror attack case, here on Friday.
“It is extremely painful that 26/11 terror attacks are being politicised. Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab said in his statement that Karkare, Kamte, and Salaskar martyred during the firing carried out by him along with his associate Abu Ismail,” Nikam told ANI here on Friday.
“If someone politicises this and says that it was because of them that the death occurred, this is totally wrong,” he said.
Nikam further said that even the Supreme Court has accepted that the 26/11 attack was a kind of “war against India.” “Our culture teaches us that we should not do any bad to somebody after his death. But if someone talks like this, it is grievous,” said Nikam.
Nikam’s statement comes after the 2008 Malegaon terror blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, also BJP’s LS candidate against Congress’ Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal, made a statement in reference to former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare.
She had said that Karkare lost his life because she had cursed him.
“I called Hemant Karkare and asked him to let me go if there is no evidence against me. He (Karkare) said that he will bring evidence but will not leave me. I told him -- You will be ruined,” she had said.
Reacting over Thakur’s statement, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also tweeted on Friday, saying that “Hemant Karkare gave his life protecting India. He must be treated with respect.”
Karkare was killed along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.
Pragya Thakur is among the seven accused facing trial in Malegaon blast case. Six people were killed and a dozen others were injured after a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra’s Malegaon on September 29, 2008.
She was arrested in 2008 but was given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2015 for lack of evidence. However, the trial court refused to let her off, saying it was difficult to accept since her motorcycle was used in the blast.
Thakur has been cleared of charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act and was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2017 but remains an accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
On Wednesday, she formally joined the BJP and will contest against Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal parliamentary constituency. Several opposition leaders have slammed the BJP for fielding a terror accused in the Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)