Headlines
Respect judiciary, but stand by comments on Memon hanging: Owaisi
Hyderabad, July 24
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, whose
comments on the imminent hanging of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts
convict Yakub Memon have sparked a huge controversy, on Friday clarified
he respected the judiciary but stood by his view.
"I respect and
accept the Supreme Court verdict. I only raised the question that why
the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh have not yet been hanged,"
he told reporters.
He rubbished the allegations that he is supporting terrorism. "I don't support terrorism and I will never support it."
Questioning
the execution of Memon set for July 30, Owaisi had asked why the
killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Punjab chief
minister Beant Singh were not hanged.
"If you want to hang the
killers, hang all killers. Don't discriminate on the basis of religion,"
the MP from Hyderabad had said while addressing a meeting at historic
Mecca Masjid here on July 17, the last Friday of Muslim holy month of
Ramadan.
Owaisi said the killers of the two leaders were not hanged because they were supported by some political parties.
"There
is Akali Dal in Punjab and there are two parties in Tamil Nadu. The
state assembly even passed a resolution against the hanging but in this
case (Memon), there is nobody to question," he had said.
The MIM leader reiterated his stand in an interview to a media organization. He also tweeted on the controversy.
The
BJP has criticized Owaisi for politicizing Memon's hanging and its MP
Sakshi Maharaj was specially critical, saying those who do not respect
the judiciary can go to Pakistan.
On Friday, Owaisi also quoted
an unpublished article of former official of Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW) on why Yakub Memon must not be hanged.
He said Srikrishna
Commission, in its report, clearly stated that demolition of Babri
Masjid was the main reason of Bombay riots and blasts.
He pointed
out that 900 people were killed in the riots but the police officials
charged of serious offences including murder went scot free.