Interview: Hindu organisations don't murder rationalists

New Delhi, Sept 22: The police are on the look out for one Rudra Patil who is believed to be the mastermind in the killings of rationalists, Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and Professor M M Kalburgi. Patil according to the police is a member of the Sanathan Sanstha.

The Sanathan Sansthan is a Hindu organization and while some term it as violent, the organization denies the allegations.

Abhay Vartak, the spokesperson of the organization says that Rudra Patil is a member (sadak) of the Sanathan, but also adds that he has nothing to do with the murder of the rationalists. In this interview with OneIndia, Vartak says there is a conspiracy against them and also adds that no Hindu organization would commit such murders.

The name of the Sanathan Sanstha has cropped up again in the murder of the rationalists. What do you have to say about it?

Yes our name has cropped up once again. What can I say? This has been happening time and again and I have always maintained that it is a conspiracy against us.

There has been a sustained campaign to defame us, but it has always failed. I am confident that the campaign to defame us would fail yet again.

Why is there is so much attention being given to Sanathan Sanstha?

As I have said that there is a conspiracy against us. We are a Hindu organization and many in the Congress and the NCP which term themselves as secular cannot digest that fact. It is the Congress and the NCP which has always made sustained efforts to try and shut us down.

Why do you think this is the case? Why is the Sanathan always the target?
I feel that there are issues that we have raised relating to Hindus. Some secular forces do not want to deal with it. Hence they run a campaign against us. They have not been successful in the past and will not succeed in future as well.

One of your members has been arrested in connection with the murder of Govind Pansare. What do you have to say about this?

Yes one of our followers, not member has been arrested. The investigations are still on and let us see what comes out of it. According to me these are all tactics to defame us and ban us.

There is a procedure for everything but the government does not want to follow that. They instead want to carry out arrests, blame us and try banning our organization.

What about the Goa blasts case? Your members were arrested?
Yes they were arrested. But nothing concrete has emerged out of it. They are innocent.

Rudra Patil a member of your organization is termed as a main suspect in the murders of the three rationalists. Is he a member of the Sanathan?

Yes he is a member of the Sanathan. In fact he is a Sadak of the organization. We have never denied that Patil is not our member. However I feel that he is innocent.

If he is innocent then why is he on the run?
The reason he is absconding is because he feels that the police will frame him. He is fully aware that the police will frame him if he comes before them. That is the only reason why he is absconding.

What are your views on the murders of Pansare, Kalburgi and Dabholkar?
Let the investigations take place. I would however like to add here that no Hindu organization will comment such an offence and I can vouch for that. It all looks like one big conspiracy to frame Hindus.

OneIndia News