New Delhi:
In a significant development, Swami Aseemanand, according to the Tehelka magazine, has confessed to a role in the Malegaon, Ajmer and Hyderabad blasts.
The magazine says Aseemanand made a statement before a magistrate on December 18, 2010. Tehelka claims it has a signed copy of the statement made in Hindi.
In the statement, he says that in June 2006, he and other members of the Sangh Parivar like Riteshwar, Sadhvi Pragya and Sunil Joshi met at Riteshwar's house in Valsad.
According to the magazine, Aseemanand told everyone present at the meeting that 'bomb ka jawab bomb se dena chahiye'. He also said that at the meeting he realised that Joshi and his group were already doing something on the subject.
He reportedly suggested that since 80 per cent of the people of Malegaon were Muslims, the first bomb should be exploded there.
Furthermore, he said that since the Nizam of Hyderabad had wanted to go with Pakistan during Partition, Hyderabad should also be targeted.
Aseemanand also allegedly suggested that bombing Ajmer Dargah would discourage Hindus from going there, something that everybody allegedly agreed upon.