Gadkari had met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
Digital Desk, New Delhi. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently made a shocking revelation during a book launch. He said he had met Ismail Haniyeh, the Middle East's most high-profile Hamas political chief in recent years, before his assassination.
Gadkari told that during that time, at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had gone to Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected President Masoud Pejeshkian.
Gadkari told that he was present in a five-star hotel in Tehran, where heads of state and senior officials of many countries had gathered informally over tea and coffee.
He said, 'All the heads of state from different countries were present there, but one person who was not a head of state was Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. I met him. I saw him going to the swearing-in ceremony with the President and the Chief Justice.
Had Haniyeh been murdered many times?
Gadkari said that after the swearing-in ceremony, he returned to his hotel, but around 4 am in the morning, Iran's ambassador to India came to him and told him that he had to leave. When he asked what happened, the ambassador said that the Hamas chief was assassinated.
Iranian officials later confirmed that the assassination took place at around 1:15 am on 31 July. Haniyeh was living in a highly secure military complex under the supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His bodyguard was also killed in this attack.
What has come to light so far in the investigation?
Gadkari said that even today there is uncertainty about how Haniyeh was murdered? He said, 'Some people say that he was murdered because of using mobile phone. Some say it happened some other way.'
What is Mossad theory?
According to a Telegraph report, Israel's intelligence agency 'Mossad' had involved Iranian security agents to plant explosives inside the building where Haniyeh was staying.
The report said the original plan was to assassinate Haniyeh during a previous visit to Tehran in May, when he attended the funeral of former Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.
It is said that the operation could not be carried out due to the crowd, as officials feared that it would increase the risk of being caught.