Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Government took five years to erase links of leaders with killers, says Tushar Gandhi

Criticising the government and investigating agencies for taking five years to arrest the accused in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi on Monday, said, "These five years were used in erasing all the links of various organisations, leaders with the killers. Once the government was sure that now the killers are isolated, they have been arrested."

Gandhi was speaking at the Jawab Do rally organised on the fifth death anniversary of anti superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar. Veteran film personality Amol Palekar, family members of Dabholkar and of slain comrade Govind Pansare were also present at the rally held.

Gandhi, in his speech, said, "The government does not like us questioning, however, we will have to raise questions like why it took five years to make the arrests in the Dabholkar case. The answer is simple. The government had to first erase all the links of the killers with their organisations, leaders, idols and isolate them so that, even if they are arrested, their links with those organisations and their leaders will never be exposed."

Gandhi was speaking on the topic of Vyarth na ho Balidan (sacrifice should not go waste) where he said that right from Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi to Dabholkar, they all sacrificed their lives for a cause but the generations for whom they sacrificed have failed them. "Those who use bullets to crush the fight of thoughts also know that they can not fight this battle of thoughts against thoughts. They have used bullets in the past but, if we do not carry forward the work of these personalities who sacrificed their lives for a cause, their sacrifice will go in vain," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also claimed that the country is going through a division on the basis of ideological differences. "Like in 1947, the country will again see a partition. However, this time, the partition will take place within the boundaries where the society will be divided. We will have to come together and fight against this thought of division to save our country," he said.

Like Gandhi, veteran film actor and director Amol Palekar also questioned the government for the delay in justice. "If government takes five years to make two arrests, it raises doubt about how much time it will take to arrest more people, especially the conspirators. The progress in this case has been made due to the question raised by the judiciary, therefore we need to ask the question over the lack of political will."

The MANS members and some citizens carried out a march from the Vitthal Ramji Shinde bridge where Dabholkar was killed to Sane Guruji Smarak near Dandekar bridge.