'Fake' Aseemanand interview a dirty Congress ploy: RSS, BJP

A Caravan magazine interview with Swamy Aseemanand, accused in a number of terror cases, which made startling revelations about the role of RSS in terror activities, has sent shock waves across the Sangh Parivar and its political wing, the BJP, which has now termed it as a political conspiracy barely two months ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The magazine also released the tapes of the interview. Aseemanand, however, is known for making u-turn from his statements and has done the same with regards to this particular interview. His lawyers issued a statement saying the tapes were fabricated. [caption id=“attachment_1377597” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Swamy Aseemanand. Ibnlive[/caption] The RSS has been rushing to do some damage control in the wake of the allegations, and have been crying conspiracy from every virtual rooftop. RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav did the same during a discussion on CNN-IBN last night. “This is not the first time this has happened. Ever since the bogie of ‘saffron terror’ was created by the ruling party, they have been trying to malign the RSS. There is not a shred of evidence against any of the RSS workers who presently are in jail on various charges. Suddenly the NIA was created. It was propagated that they had evidence. It is a huge huge conspiracy. Everybody knows that we are a patriotic organisation,” Madhav said. When asked if the organisation was open for a probe Madhav said, “Let the investigative agencies decide that.” Madhav also questioned if the interview was real in the first place. “The most important question is whether the interview was conducted or not conducted. Swamy Aseemanand has also issued a statement denying having given the interview. If the interview is false we will take legal action.” Executive Editor of Caravan, Vinod K Jose, said the interview took place over a span of four years and hit out at political parties for criticising the media instead of owning up to the truth. “I see a pattern here. Whenever any serious investigation takes place, be it against any political party, they attack us.” Congress’s Randeep Singh Surjewala also made a similar point saying that any investigative journalism against the BJP or the RSS, saw the media organisation painted as a Congress stooge. “Madhav forgets that the investigation was made by an independent news magazine and not by the Congress. Aseemanand is nobody but an RSS pracharak. It is a well known fact that the Samjhauta Express killed 82 people. Madhav can act innocent,” he said. “Recently there were revelations against Narendra Modi about snooping. Even then the BJP blamed the Congress. Is every newspaper and every news channel a Congress stooge?” Surjewala asked. However when questions on the authenticity of the tapes arose, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Vikram Singh was also of the opinion that obtaining such an interview was quite impossible given the restrictions in prisons and around criminals. “I strongly doubt the credibility of this interview and under what circumstances it took place. I would suspect that they had a sneak preview of Assemanand while he travelled to court and back. Because the police don’t have the power to allow journalists to enter prison premises,” he said. “It should be investigated how they managed to get the recording equipment inside the jail premises, if the journalist went under disguise. If such a thing happened it would raise questions on ethics,” he said. Questioning why the whole issue was timed right before the elections, Pinky Anand of the BJP said that it was clear that it was nothing but a Congress conspiracy. “They have done many things to implicate the BJP be it Ishrat Jahan case or Gujarat riots. The audio tapes have no significance. So the BJP is not worried,” she said. Her statement lead to a heated argument between the RSS and the Congress spokesperson, to which Hindustan Times Editor Harinder Baweja reacted saying, “It is extremely worrying to hear a slinging match on an extremely important issue that involves terrorism,” she said. She also added that as a journalist she simply could not write the tapes off as false. “There are questions of credibility of how terror investigations are done. As a journalist I would be extremely uncomfortable saying that the interview was set up. The NIA must call for these tapes”. Vikram Singh added that the best way forward would be narco analysis test. “Subject him to Narco analysis and polygraph tests.”