Transcript: ARVIND PANDYA

Arvind Pandey

JUNE 8, 2007

TEHELKA: Who was at the forefront during the riots?

Pandya: It will be wrong to say some were there and some were not… Practically everybody who went to the field was from the Bajrang Dal and the VHP…

TEHELKA: Did Jaideepbhai go to the field?

Pandya: Jaideepbhai had also gone… Which leaders went where, who had a role, who had a suspected role — we have before the Commission all these details, all the mobile numbers, who went where… We have the locations…

TEHELKA: Yes, some controversy also took place…

Pandya: It’s still on… And I know whose mobile numbers were there… who talked to whom, from which location… I have the papers…

TEHELKA: So can there be some problem for the Hindus because of that… for Jaideepbhai etc…

Pandya: Arrey bhai, I am the one who has to fight the case… don’t worry… don’t worry about this, there will be no problem here. If there will be a problem I’ll solve it… I have spent all these years for whom… for my own blood

TEHELKA: Can the commission’s report go against the Hindus?

Pandya: Nahi, nahi… it can create some problems for the police… it can go against them… see, the judges who have been selected are from the Congress…

TEHELKA: Yes, Nanavati… and Shah

Pandya: That’s the only problem… our leaders at the time got into a controversy in a hurry… what they thought was that since Nanavati was involved in the Sikh riots... that if they use a Congress judge there will be no controversy…

TEHELKA: So is Nanavati absolutely against you people?

Pandya: Nanavati is a clever man…He wants money... Of the two judges, KG Shah is intelligent… woh apne wala hai [he is our man]… he is sympathetic to us… Nanavati is after money…

TEHELKA: You are saying he wants to make money…

Pandya: It is an internal matter...

TEHELKA: The Nanavati-Shah Commission can go against Hindus….

Pandya: They run the Commission for years… he wants money, nothing else… He is a Congressman…

TEHELKA: And Shah?

Pandya: Nahi Shah to apnay hain [No, Shah is one of our own]… but Nanavati is a retired Supreme Court judge and Shah is a retired High Court judge…

• • •

Pandya: I have been the government’s special AG [Advocate General] in these riots… I kept note of just two things… I told the VHP that none of you have to come to the Commission ever… you keep in touch with me, that’s all… I told the BJP too to keep in touch with me, that’s all… I have also told the Sangh that whenever I hold camps at various places don’t come there with a big strength and don’t bring a known face. You keep in touch with me on phone… If I’ll need anything, you’ll just receive a call, not more… I also went to all the places where the camps were held. I also held my own camps. I went to the camps to win the local people’s favour… how it should be done, what is to be done.

TEHELKA: It would have created problems otherwise…

Pandya: The style of working is different… I am the one who has created this whole mood of the Commission… that is why all these lectures the Muslims give to their activists… It’s written in many lectures, some have also been recorded by the IB [Intelligence Bureau] that if a Hindu or a Hindu leader gets involved then it is dangerous, but if Arvind Pandya gets involved it is 2,000 times dangerous…

TEHELKA:Has there been any inquiry against you?

Pandya: One was TEHELKA-related... I had threatened the police officer, RB Sreekumar... that leaked out and it ran on TV all day... but that was the last tehelka...