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Abhinav Bharat

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Abhinav Bharatis aHindumilitant[1]organization[2][3]founded by retiredIndian ArmyMajor Ramesh Upadhyay[4][5][6]in 2006 inPune,India. It has a large base inMadhya Pradesh.The organization is believed to be the revived form of the pre-Independence eraAbhinav Bharat Society.[7][8][9]The activities of the organisations received widespread attention after MaharashtraAnti Terrorist Squad(ATS) arrested its member for the2006 Malegaon bombingscase.[10]It has no relationship to theMumbai-basedcharitable trustof the same name.[11]

History[edit]

Abhinav Bharat was named after theAbhinav Bharat Society,an organisation founded byVinayak Damodar Savarkarin 1904. The original organization believed in armed revolution, and was responsible for the assassinations of some officers[which?]of the ruling British government before being disbanded in 1952.[12]

The current Abhinav Bharat was founded in 2006 by Ramesh Upadhyay[4][5]and lieutenant-colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit.[6][13]The first few meetings of the new group took place in 2007.[12]Himani Savarkar, the niece ofNathuram Godseand the wife of Vinayak Savarkar's nephew, was elected president of the group in 2008.[12]During the first few meetings of the organisation, the members discussed the idea that Hinduism was in danger, and needed to be defended.[12]In 2008, several of its members were arrested on the suspicion of being involved in the2006 Malegaon bombings,and its official website was closed down.[14]

Relationship with Sangh Parivar groups[edit]

Sangh Parivarrepresentatives have distanced themselves from Abhinav Bharat (AB).[15]Praveen Togadia,the former head of theVHP,fears that Abhinav Bharat is diverting radicals from the VHP, from where much of the Abhinav Bharat membership originates.[16]Abhinav Bharat has also been accused of plotting to kill seniorRSSleaders, including RSS ChiefMohan Bhagwat,who the Sangh Parivar thought wasn't doing enough forHindutva.[17][18]

The Caravanconducted interviews ofSwami Aseemanandto publish an exclusive profile,[19]in which he named Bhagwat in relation to2007 Samjhauta Express bombings,Ajmer Dargah attackandMecca Masjid bombing.Later, Aseemanand called the magazine article "fabricated" and threatened to launch legal action against the article's author. However, the Caravan defended its report and released tape recordings and transcripts of the interviews.[20][21]TheNational Investigation Agency(NIA), which investigating Aseemanand, said that he never named any RSS leader during questioning. The RSS, too, has denied the allegations.[citation needed]

Allegations of involvement in bombings[edit]

Following the arrest and investigation of Abhinav Bharat members Swami Aseemanand, Shrikant Purohit,Sadhvi Pragya Thakur,Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan, Sunil Joshi, and Rajendra Choudhary in connection with the 2006 Malegaon blasts,[22]the organization has been investigated for its alleged role in2007 Samjhauta Express bombings,Malegaon blasts,Mecca Masjid bombing,Ajmer Sharif Dargah blastand Jalna mosque bomb attack. In all these bombings 147 people were killed.[8][23]Anti-Terrorism Squad Investigations have revealed that serving and retired army officers associated with Abhinav Bharat hijacked the organisation and motivated the youth to take up armed struggle against Muslims.[24]Swapan Dasguptanotes that the group seemed little more "than a letterhead or part of a fantasy world".[25]

Praveen Mutalik, who was arrested for his alleged role in the2008 Malegaon blasts,is alleged to have received more than₹3 lakh(US$3,600) from Prasad Shrikant Purohit, a co-founder of the Abhinav Bharat.[6]Furthermore, theAnti Terrorist Squadhas claimed that Ajay Rahirkar, the treasurer of Abhinav Bharat, received₹10 lakh(US$12,000) from varioushawaladars.[26]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Abhinav Bharat, the Malegaon Blast and Hindu Nationalism: Resisting and Emulating Islamist Terrorism".4 September 2010.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  2. ^"The Mirror Explodes: Hindu is a reality, yet India refuses to utter its name".Outlook.19 July 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2010.Retrieved3 May2014.
  3. ^Ashraf, Ajaz (2 August 2015)."Dear Rajnath, 'Hindu terror' is exactly the word for Abhinav Bharat extremists".Firstpost.
  4. ^ab"History of LT COL involved in Bomb Blasts".2 November 2008.
  5. ^ab"Who is Shrikant Purohit?".NDTV.
  6. ^abc"Mutalik used Abhinav Bharat funds for business".The Times of India.4 February 2011.Retrieved3 May2014.
  7. ^Mahan, Rajan (14 April 2009)."Abhinav Bharat under ATS scanner for '07 Ajmer blast".NDTV.Retrieved3 May2014.
  8. ^abJain, Bharti (27 February 2013)."Maharashtra government moves to ban Abhinav Bharat".The Times of India.Retrieved3 May2014.
  9. ^"Home ministry turns down Maharashtra's plea to ban Abhinav Bharat".The Times of India.22 August 2013.Retrieved2 March2014.
  10. ^Naveen, P. (27 October 2008)."Malegaon blast: Focus on new outfits".The Hindustan Times.Archived fromthe originalon 3 May 2014.Retrieved2 May2014.
  11. ^"Mumbai trust wants Abhinav Bharat to change name".25 April 2011.Retrieved7 May2014.
  12. ^abcdJaffrelot, C. (2010)."Abhinav Bharat, the Malegaon Blast and Hindu Nationalism: Resisting and Emulating Islamist Terrorism".Economic and Political Weekly.45(36): 51–58.JSTOR25742046.
  13. ^"10 Facts About Lt Col Purohit, Main Accused In 2008 Malegaon Blast Case".NDTV.Retrieved23 December2020.
  14. ^Haygunde, Chandan (28 October 2008)."Abhinav Bharat's site shut".The Indian Express.Retrieved4 May2014.
  15. ^"Sangh distances itself from Malegaon episode - The Times of India".Timesofindia.indiatimes. 8 November 2008.Retrieved15 April2014.
  16. ^"Togadia alarmed by Lt-Col's rise? - The Times of India".Timesofindia.indiatimes. 7 November 2008.Retrieved15 April2014.
  17. ^"Blast accused wanted to kill saffron leaders".Hindustan Times. 21 November 2008.Retrieved15 April2014.
  18. ^"Did Abhinav Bharat plan to kill RSS chief? - The Times of India".Timesofindia.indiatimes. 28 June 2010.Retrieved15 April2014.
  19. ^Leena Gita Reghunath (1 February 2014)."The Believer: Swami Aseemanand's radical service to the Sangh".Caravan.Retrieved10 December2014.
  20. ^"Aseemanand threatens to launch legal action against The Caravan".The Hindu.8 February 2014.Retrieved4 May2014.
  21. ^Leena Gita Reghunath (8 February 2014)."Swami Aseemanand interviews".Outlook.Retrieved10 December2014.
  22. ^"ATS may arrest Abhinav Bharat leader today".The Times of India.Retrieved4 May2014.
  23. ^"Narco test to be carried on Abhinav Bharat activist".The Times Of India.10 November 2008.
  24. ^"Abhinav Bharat was 'hijacked' by hardliners: probe".Indian Express.2 November 2008.Retrieved4 May2014.
  25. ^"Malegaon to Mangalore".Indian Express. 28 January 2009.
  26. ^"Abhinav Bharat treasurer may have received hawala money".The Times of India.10 November 2008.Retrieved3 May2014.
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