Abhinav Bharat trained cadres to lie, says report

"Injure yourself if you have to"; "complain of torture"; "make personal, embarrassing allegations against the police in court."

These are some instructions members of the radical Hindu group Abhinav Bharat – under investigation for its involvement in the Malegaon blast – were given at a training camp conducted by Lt Col Prasad Purohit at Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this year.

The September 29 blast in a crowded marketplace in Maharashtra's powerloom town claimed six lives.

Investigators found details of these training sessions in Purohit's laptop, which was recovered after his arrest on November 5. The Hindustan Times had access to the armyman's detailed lecture notes. Officials said at least 30 senior Abhinav Bharat members attended these sessions, referred to in the laptop as personality development workshops.

The allegations made by Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and the other co-accused at the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Monday are very similar to the instructions in Purohit's sessions.

"With his military intelligence background and knowledge of interrogation procedures, this strategy to derail investigation in the event of being arrested was designed by Purohit," said a police officer involved in the probe.

Maharashtra Director General of Police A.N. Roy said these are delay tactics. "It is becoming common to level allegations against investigators, to slow down the probe and to make investigators wary," he said.

The court on Monday denied the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody of seven of the 11 accused, a major setback and embarrassment for the police. The sadhvi was the first to file an affidavit that the ATS had tortured her.

"It's a procedure straight out of the Al Qaeda manual. Once a precedent is set, everybody follows suit," said advocate Raja Thackeray, who specialises in criminal matters.

The allegations are similar to those made by the July 11/7 train blasts accused and Indian Mujahideen members, arrested for their links with the blasts in Ahmedabad and Delhi.

‘Why Not Blast For Blast?’ asks Abhinav Bharat president Himani Savarkar: Outlook interview

Till 2000, Himani Savarkar was an architect. That’s when she discontinued her practice to become the president of the Hindu Mahasabha. The 61-year-old Himani lives in Pune and her hardline Hindutva roots are well-entrenched. She is the daughter of Gopal Godse, the brother of Nathuram Godse, and is married to Veer Savarkar’s nephew. Himani is also the president of the Abhinav Bharat. Some members of the organization have been linked to the Malegaon bomb attack of September 29. Himani spoke to Outlook. Excerpts:

How did you become the president of Abhinav Bharat?

I had known Sameer Kulkarni (the Maharashtra ATS has alleged that he was part of the team that provided logistic support for the Malegaon blasts) for quite some time. Like me, he was also part of the RSS. When he decided to start Abhinav Bharat, he approached me to become its president and I accepted.

What are the objectives of Abhinav Bharat?

Our aim is to fight terror—spread awareness of who the real terrorists are and teach people how to oppose terrorism. This should have been done by the government but it has failed to prevent terror attacks. Since the government failed to act, there had to be a reaction. If what the police claim against Sadhvi Pragya Singh and the others is true, then it is just a reaction against the real terrorism....

But is a blast-for-blast strategy the way to tackle terrorism?

Didn’t Maharashtra deputy CM R.R. Patil say that we must reply with a bullet for a bullet? Then why can’t we have a blast for a blast? Sameer Kulkarni and the others are patriots who love their country. But the government is now trying to declare them guilty to weaken the Hindus. We have become a soft state...should we all wear bangles now? The government doesn’t want to fight terrorism. That’s why it will never take action against the Muslims. The police have cracked so many cases like the encounter in Delhi where Muslim terrorists were killed. But as soon as the police takes action, there are shouts for a judicial inquiry.

You have faith in the police when it comes to Muslims as terror suspects but not so when Hindus are accused by the same cops? Also, Muslims say they never got justice after the 1993 Bombay riots and the 2002 Gujarat riots? How do you respond?

This is a demand made by Muslims based on their religion. If they are to make such demands, then there are so many countries for Muslims and they should go live there. There is only one country for Hindus and we must protect it. I don’t believe in reports like the Srikrishna Commission report (on the ’92-93 Bombay riots) because I know how they are managed.

So, has the Nanavati Commission’s report on the Gujarat riots also been similarly ‘managed’?

I don’t know much about that report. But you must remember that it is normal human behaviour to react. All that is happening today is a reaction from the Hindus. I don’t believe in the philosophy of turning the other cheek if someone slaps you. We must strike back. So, if someone takes action to defend the Hindus, then we must defend them.

How should India fight terrorism?

We must declare ourselves a Hindu rashtra where everyone is a Hindu. Anyone who isn’t should be declared a second-class citizen and denied voting rights. Those who have problems with this should leave and settle in other countries. The Hindu vote bank must unite to vote out any government that fails to tackle terror. Then we must throw out the outsiders like Bangladeshis who live off India’s wealth and work towards destroying us.

What if people of other faiths reject your prescription and refuse to call themselves Hindu....

Then they are welcome to leave this country. Those living in Germany are called Germans, in England they are English, then why shouldn’t those living in Hindustan be called Hindus?

Savarkar’s Abhinav Bharat and its new avatars

Little is known about Abhinav Bharat, the Saffron Terror outfit which figures prominently in the investigations into the Malegaon bomb blasts.

In an article in the Malayalam weekly Kalakaumudi, Bonnie Thomas of Mumbai says Abhinav Bharat was an organization set up by V. D. Savarkar, the freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. He is credited with having propounded the theory that Hindus and Muslims constitute separate nations long before the All India Muslim League and Mohammed Ali Jinnah advanced it in support of the Pakistan demand.

The official website of Nashik provides some information about Savarkar’s Abhinav Bharat.

Abhinav Bharat appears to have two new avatars.

According to Bonnie Thomas, it took rebirth in its present terrorist form at a meeting at Raigarh in Mharashtra in June 2006. Savarkar’s daughter-in-law Himani Savarkar is its president. She is the daughter of Gopal Godse, brother of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.

Both Savarkar and Gopal Godse were tried along with Nathuram in the Gandhi murder case. While Savarkar was acquitted, Gopal Godse served a jail term.

Bonnie Thomas says Abhinav Bharat, at its website, registered on May 19, 2007, has named a retired Major, Ramesh Upadhyaya as its working president. He is now in custody, facing charges of providing training to the Malegaon bombers.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad claims to have found evidence that links Lt-Col Shreekant Prasad Purohit with Upadhyaya and Abhinav Bharat. He is the first serving officer of the army to be hauled up for terrorist activity.

A trust, which has its registered office at Savarkar Sadan, Dadar, Mumbai, has claimed that it is the real Abhinav Bharat and that the organization which is under the ATS scanner is an imposter.

Pankaj Phadnis, Settler and Advisory Trustee of Abhinav Bharat, said in a press release issued on October 29: “The Trustees of Abhinav Bharat are deeply dismayed to find the term ‘Abhinav Bharat’ being tarnished by alleged activities of some individuals who are in no way connected with Abhinav Bharat. This is to set the record straight in terms of the so-called involvement of Abhinav Bharat in Malegaon Blast Case.
“It is well known that Abhinav Bharat was a revolutionary society formed sometime in 1905 by Veer Savarkar in order that India attains Absolute Political Independence. Its prominent members included Madam Cama, Sikander Hyat Khan, Acharya Kriplani, Balasaheb Kher, Harnam Singh amongst countless others. Inspired by Mazzini, the famed Italian revolutionary, it was a truly secular, non sectarian body committed to Absolute Political Independence of India. The sacrifices made by its members are the stuff legends are made of. Once the Goal of Absolute Political was attained, Veer Savarkar publicly dissolved Abhinav Bharat in Pune.

“In 2001, ‘Abhinav Bharat’ was registered as a charitable trust under Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 bearing registration number 19962. Donations to the Trust are exempt under Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act. Details are given on the Web Site as also in Annexure I. Some of the prominent details of the Trust are:

• The Deed of Declaration of the Trust was signed on the Easter Day of 2001 – April 15, 2001

• Three of its Publication were e-released on March 23, 2008, the only time in last one hundred years that the Martyrdom Day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Raj Guru coincided with the Easter Day.

• Access to its web site www.abhinavbharat.org is open only those who confirm that they “shall work towards a Peaceful, Plural, Inclusive and Just Human Society.” Enclosed herewith as Annexure II is an extract “The Relevance of Bahadur Shah Zafar Today” from the latest publication of Abhinav Bharat – “The British Mutiny of 1857”. This is also available on the web site

• Currently, it has sponsored a Doctoral Study in University of Mumbai on Universalization of Primary Education.

“The organization which is being investigated for its alleged involvement in Malegaon Blast Case is an unauthorized and illegal user of the term ‘Abhinav Bharat’ and therefore an Imposter. ‘Abhinav Bharat’ – the Trust is in no way connected with this Imposter Organization or any of its members in any manner. It is therefore requested that the media may kindly use the term ‘Imposter Abhinav Bharat’ to report the activities of the organization that is illegally using the term Abhinav Bharat”

According to information available at the trust’s website Pankaj Phadnis, who is a BE (Mechanical) and Master in Managament, is the CEO of its Project Light. Apart from Phadnis, it has three more trustees, all women. They are: Manjiri Phadnis, a Commerce graduate and Yoga teacher, who is the Managing Trustee, Meena Prabhu, a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary, who is its Secretary, and Madhumita Bal, also a Chartered Accountant, who is the CFO of Project Light.

The trust’s website includes a blog. One of the two blog posts is titled, “ Who killed the Mahatma?” It says, “The Mahatma may not have known the details but he, given his astuteness in matters of money, could not have been unaware of the betrayal of Dardrinarayan by his own followers and died a thousand deaths at the their perfidy.
Yes, Nathuram Godse did kill the Mahatma physically on January 30, 1948 but Who killed his Spirit on August 15, 1947 ? It is for the readers to decide.”