Firing not aimed at Ravishankar: PC
Home minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said that spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar “may not” have been the target of firing at his convoy on Sunday night and the incident could be the result of a dispute between two of his disciples. Ministry officials, however, raised concern arms carried by the disciples.
The home minister said an oral report has been received from the Karnataka government on the incident but a written report is awaited. “Our reports says that the incident took place after Sri Sri Ravishankar left the place in his car and, therefore, it may not be correct, I underline, may not be correct to say that the firing was aimed at him,” Mr Chidambaram said. It seems to be a dispute or a brawl between two of his followers. One of them has been injured in his thigh but is not in danger, he said. Sources said that the security of the spiritual leader has been beefed up in the state.
Reacting to the NIA team’s visit to the US to question Amercian-Pakistani LeT terror operative David Headley, Mr Chidambaram said that India and the United States will issue a joint statement after the interrogation of 26/11 terror attack conspirator by Indian investigators. “We have agreed with the US to issue a joint statement at the end of the visit of the National Investigation Team (to Chicago to interrogate Headley),” the home minister said. “Only an agreed statement will be issued later,” Mr Chidambaram said, disclosing the cautious approach of the government which is seeking cooperation from the US to gain access to question Headley.
A team consisting of NIA officials and a law officer have left for Chicago and are expected to remain there for at least 10 to 15 days.
On the issue of a caste-based census in 2011, Mr Chidambaram, who has consistently voiced reservations about inclusion of caste during the census exercise, said that the decision of the Cabinet has already been announced and a Group of Ministers (GoM) will be formed. “The paper before the Cabinet will be examined by the GoM,” he said. Following demands for a caste-based Census, the home ministry has proposed to include caste during the work on the National Population register or even later at the time of biometric identification of citizens which comes after the census exercise.
After complimenting the investigating agencies for apprehending the prime suspect in the Pune blast case, Mr Chidambaram adopted a cautious tone on the arrest of Pune blast suspect Abdul Samad by the Maharashtra ATS on May 25. Mr Chidambaram said: “I wish to impress upon everyone that the arrested person, at this stage, is only a suspect and hence this information should be treated with circumspection.” Mr Chidambaram said the National Investigation Agency has been constituted to investigate terrorism related cases.
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