ISI funded RSS leaders: Pandey's confession

Mumbai, Feb 18: RSS leader Shyam Apte has alleged two RSS leaders, including general secretary Mohan Bhagwat were funded by Pakistan's ISI, Malegaon blast accused Dayanand Pandey said in his confessional statement to the police.

"In August 2008, I had gone to Pune where I met with RSS leader Shyam Apte who told me about (Indresh) Kumar (Muslim wing leader of RSS) and Bhagwat taking money from ISI.

Lt Col Srikant Purohit, after learning about this, had asked one Captain Joshi to murder the two," Pandey said in his confession before a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

The self-styled religious leader, in his statement to the police, has said Purohit, who had formed right wing group Abhinav Bharat, had directed one Captain Joshi to murder Indresh Kumar and Mohan Bhagwat.

The statement said Joshi was, however, not able to execute the murder which had infuriated Apte.

Pandey said the entire Malegaon blast conspiracy was hatched by Purohit and co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur who wanted to take the lead in the cause of Hindutva and "avenge for the deaths of Hindus caused by Muslims across the country".

"In August 2007, I met Purohit in Deolali camp (near Nashik) where he told me about forming a right wing group by the name Abhinav Bharat for promoting and safeguarding Hindutva," Pandey's confession statement said.

In January 2008, Pandey attended a meeting of Abhinav Bharat in Faridabad in which Purohit, co-accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi and retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay were present, it said.

In the meeting, Purohit spoke extensively about the setting up of a "Hindu Rashtra" with its own Constitution for the protection of Hindus, it added.

"Purohit had also said he would arrange for explosives which can be used to blast Muslim-dominated areas. Upadhyay then said that he can arrange for men to prepare the bombs," Pandey has said.

In June 2008, Pandey had gone to Indore where he met the Sadhvi who told him that she had asked Purohit to arrange for explosives for the protection of Hindus.

"Sadhvi said that Purohit was not taking the cause seriously and asked me to convince him to arrange for the explosives immediately," the statement said.

Of the 11 arrested accused in the case, two - Pandey and Rakesh Dhawde - have given confessional statements. Confession given before a DCP-level officer is admissible in the court under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) which has been invoked in the Malegaon case.

Bureau Report http://zeenews.india.com/Nation/2009-02-18/508735news.html