LeT used Gujarat riot video to motivate Headley against India

Washington, Jun 14: LeT used videos of the 2002 Gujarat riots to motivate David Headley, a co-accused in the 26/11 attacks, to carry out "jihad" against India, indicating how the incident is being used as a major recruiting tool by the banned Pakistani militant group.

Headley, who was trained by LeT in terror operations, besides those from the ISI, had told the Chicago court last month that the Gujarat riots was very often the topic of discussion among them.

"Yes", Headley said when the government prosecutor asked him if the Gujarat riot was motivating to him to carry "jihad" against India.

"It was a massacre that had happened, and they showed people running, houses being burnt. And also since that time from 2002 till 2007, the Lashkar office itself had received hundreds of letters from Muslims in Gujarat asking for help," Headley told the court in response to a question from the attorney.

Headley told the court of having shown by the LeT leaders the hidden-camera interview of one Baba Bajrangi, said to be a VHP leader, who relocated himself from Mumbai to Gujarat during the riots.

In the video Baba Bajrangi claimed that he had killed a lot of women and burnt houses and stuff.

"That's available on YouTube and he showed it to me on disk," Headley said referring to his conversation with LeT leaders in Pakistan.

PTI