Surat: Contradicting govt version on Pak terror boat that blew up along Gujarat Coastline on the night of 31st December 2014, a Deputy Inspector General of the Coast Guard claimed that it was the Coast Guard which blew up the Pakistani boat on that night and that he was the one who ordered, “Blow the boat off…We don't want to serve them biryani…”
This is in direct conflict with what was claimed by the government at the time of incident that the suspect boat had ‘blown itself up under suspicious circumstances'.
The statement by DIG BK Loshali completely belies the government's version of the incident. Loshali is also Chief of Staff (North West Region), Coast Guard, Gandhi Nagar and he gave this statement at a gathering of officials from the Coast Guard and Larsen & Toubro during the launch of Coast Guard interceptor boat ICGS C-421, designed and built by L&T, Surat.
According to a report published in The Indian Express, the remarks were made in the presence of Coast Guard DIG Sudhir Sahni, in-charge of refit and production; and G Sethy, Deputy Commandant, who are based in Surat. The interceptor boat was formally launched by Loshali's wife Ira Loshali on the L&T premises at Hazira.
The statement and remarks of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Minister and the Coast Guard had said that the boat's crew had set itself on fire or they were responsible for the explosion that destroyed the boat 365 miles off Porbandar after an hour-long chase by a Coast Guard ship on the New Year's Eve.
After the incident, many experts had pointed out that evidence suggested “use of disproportionate force” by the Coast Guard.
They had also pointed out that the videotape of the burning boat did not show any explosives on board.
Loshali started his speech by telling the audience that he was provided with a written speech however he spoke off his mind and stated, “Let me tell you,” he said, “I hope you remember 31st December night… we blew off that Pakistan… We have blown them off… I was there at Gandhinagar and I told at night, blow the boat off. We don't want to serve them biryani…”
On January 5, after the picture of the incident were treleased by the Coast Guard, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said, “A normal boat, even carrying some drugs, can throw away their drugs and surrender. No one is going to be killing himself unless you are motivated enough to do that… As per our information, the boat was under our surveillance for over 12 hours — probably for more than a day — stationed there in one position… (I am) not speculating that it had explosives, but it had some activity in mind that does not fit the description of a smuggling boat. Which smuggler would commit suicide?”
