India: involvement of Hindutva elements in murders of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi ?

The Hindu
MUMBAI, September 18, 2015

‘We won’t rule out involvement of Hindutva elements’
[by] Alok Deshpande


Even as it claimed innocence in the murder of veteran Communist leader and social activist Govind Pansare, Sanatan Sanstha— a right wing Hindu extremist organisation — on Friday said that possibility of enraged Hindutva elements killing him cannot be denied.

Samir Gaikwad, a full time worker of the Sanstha, was arrested on Wednesday for his alleged role in murder of Pansare.

In a press conference held in Mumbai, the Sanstha claimed that the police were acting under the influence of ‘hypocrite progressive elements’ and were targeting ‘devout Hindu organisations.’

“Sanatan Sanstha is a spiritual and patriotic organisation; it is unnecessarily defamed due to unrestrained accusations of progressive elements despite the lack of any conclusive evidence,” said Abhay Vartak, spokesperson, Sanatan Sanstha.

Accepting that ‘Hindu Terrorism’ exists in India, Advocate Sanjiv Punhalekar — Sanstha’s legal adviser— said that the government must engage them in talks to know why some ‘Hindutva’ elements were turning violent.

“We do not approve of such tactics. But it is possible that several of these elements are involved in the murders of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi,” he said.