New Delhi, 9 September 2006 Mr. S. Shahabuddin, President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, has issued the following statement (AIMMM):

The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) expresses its deep sorrow at the loss of life of about 40 innocent persons in the serial bomb blasts in Malegaon on the eve of Shab-e-Baraat, which has also injured nearly 200 persons.

The AIMMM recalls that the State Government has not prosecuted with due vigour the culprits identified in the recent bomb blasts in Nanded as well as in the bomb attacks on several Masjids in Marathwada or investigated their connections which point to the existence of a terrorist and subversive network associated with anti-Muslim organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal.

If the object of terrorism is, inter alia, to generate communal violence and thus to polarize votes on communal lines, there is no reason for the authorities to investigate such criminal acts with a fixation about Pakistan, ISI, SIMI and Muslims in general. They should be investigated with an open mind and with an eye on all possible alternatives, and the state Government should direct the investigating agencies to perform their duty without fear or favour and without worrying about the political consequences of their finding.

The AIMMM, therefore, requests the Central and State Governments to undertake in-depth investigation of the Malegaon blasts from all possible angles, identify and apprehend the culprits and prosecute them.

The AIMMM calls upon the people of Malegaon, in general, and the Muslim community, in particular, to bear the misfortune without rancour and with faith and make every effort, even while exercising their democratic right of protest, to maintain peace so as not to set a spiral of violence into motion.

The AIMMM offers its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and wishes early recovery to those injured. In this context, it calls upon the Government to raise the ex-gratia compensation to the level sanctioned by the Supreme Court for the victims of 1984 Delhi Disturbances.