Hyderabad (PTI): AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday slammed the BJP-led Centre and the RSS over the Sangh chief’s remarks seeking the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, saying the saffron party would even give the country’s highest civilian award to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse.
Addressing a rally at Mahabubnagar during the campaign for the municipal polls in Telangana, Owaisi said Maulvi Alauddin, the then imam of Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad, was arrested for attacking the British Residency during the First War of Independence in 1857 and was sent to the ‘Kala Pani’ jail in the Andaman Islands, where he later passed away.
The Hyderabad MP, without naming Savarkar, said the RSS was seeking the Bharat Ratna for a person who had written six mercy petitions to the British.
He asked the RSS who the first prisoner in ‘Kala Pani’ was—whether it was a Sangh member or a Muslim—adding that Maulvi Alauddin was the first prisoner in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.
Referring to the J L Kapur Commission report on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, Owaisi further asked whether Justice Kapur had not stated that Savarkar was a conspirator in Gandhi’s assassination.
“A person who conspired in Gandhi’s assassination—you are seeking the Bharat Ratna for him. Congratulations. A time will come in this country when the BJP will give the Bharat Ratna to Godse as well,” the AIMIM chief claimed.
On the long-pending demand for the Bharat Ratna for Savarkar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the prestige of the award would rise if it were conferred on him.
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Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
