The alleged mastermind of the serial blasts Mufti Abul Bashir Qasmi’s father Abu Bakar Islahi says he was shocked to hear that his eldest son has been charged with terrorist activities. So were the villagers of Bina Para and community members of Saraimir in Azamgarh, a report published in the English daily, Indian Express said on August 18.
“Hang him if he is a terrorist and involved in anti-national activities but do not frame anyone just on the ground that he is a Muslim,” said Abu Bakar. “I have taught peace and love throughout my life, I condemn terrorism.” The villagers and family members are against the claim of the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Ahmedabad police that Bashir was involved in terrorist activity. “A youth who had never fought with anyone in the village cannot be a terrorist,” a villager said. “Two men had called on Bashir on August 14 afternoon on the pretext of talking about his younger brother Mohd Zafar’s marriage. As soon as he stepped out, four others waiting outside dragged him inside a car and sped away,” Bakar said. “The villagers faxed messages to the Chief Minister and the District Magistrate on the same night as they thought that some people had kidnapped him. Why did the ATS and the police say that they arrested him from Lucknow? The ATS team which raided my residence on Saturday (August 16) did not find anything objectionable,” the father said. Former UP chief minister and senior Congress leader Ram Naresh Yadav visited Bashir’s father and other villagers. He assured them that he would send his report to the party high command. The villagers shouted anti-government and anti-police slogans during Yadav’s visit.
While investigators in the BJP led Gujarat claimed that the case was cracked, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said that innocent people were being targeted. “What was Narendra Modi and Gujarat police doing? Don’t arrest innocent people. Show the evidence. Nobody will defend SIMI if they give specific evidence of SIMI’s involvement in blasts.”