Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition, Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar, sparked controversy by alleging that former state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, but rather by an RSS-affiliated police officer.
Wadettiwar's comments targeted Ujjwal Nikam, BJP's candidate from Mumbai North Central, who served as the public prosecutor in the trial of the 26/11 terror attack, leading to Kasab's death sentence.
Accusing Nikam of defaming the Congress, Wadettiwar questioned his credibility and claimed that the bullet that killed Hemant Karkare did not come from Kasab's gun but from a police officer loyal to RSS at the time.
The BJP swiftly responded to Wadettiwar's remarks, condemning them and accusing the Congress of appeasing terrorists for political gain.
Wadettiwar later clarified that he was quoting from a book written by SM Mushrif, a former Inspector General of Police, titled 'Who Killed Karkare', which suggested that Karkare was not killed by terrorists' bullets.
Hemant Karkare, who was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra for his bravery during the 26/11 attack, remains a respected figure in India's fight against terrorism. Ujjwal Nikam, who prosecuted Kasab, is contesting against Congress's Varsha Gaikwad for the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat.
