Owaisi slams Pak PM; asks him to worry about his own country
Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has asked why losses were not recovered from those who indulged in damage to public property during the Jat agitation in Haryana, while money is proposed to be recovered by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the recent anti-CAA protests.
Owaisi, who was addressing a protest meeting at Sangareddy town near here late on Saturday night against the amended citizenship law, also said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan need not worry about Indian Muslims.
The AIMIM president also announced that a protest meeting will be held at the historic Charminar here on January 25 against the CAA, adding "We will hoist the tricolour on January 25 midnight and recite the national anthem. The meeting would be to save the Constitution and the country."
On January 10, a peaceful march will also be taken out in Hyderabad against the CAA, he said.
Talking about the violent protests against CAA in UP, Owaisi said he condemned violence wherever it occurred but would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act, 1984 applied to them (UP incidents) or not.
He claimed destruction of properties worth Rs 2,000 crore occurred in the Jat agitation in Haryana in 2015.
"Destruction of Rs 2,000 crore. Modiji, you have taken money from how many? Have you taken money from those people? One paisa was not taken. Why? You did not take because they were not Muslims. Is this not a violation of Article 14 of our Constitution," he said.
How much money was recovered for the losses during the Patel agitation in Gujarat, he asked. More than 600 police vehicles were burnt and more than 1,800 government buildings were damaged during the Patel agitation, he claimed.
"Why are (you) doing this injustice that you will not take from Gujaratis, but recover money from Muslims," he said.
"...to recover that Rs 14.50 lakh, properties of Muslims were seized, (they were) locked (in UP). This law won't apply," he said.
Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan posting a video, Owaisi said Khan has posted a wrong Bangladeshi video claiming it to be from India.
"Mr Khan, you worry about your own country. Mr Khan, we would like to tell you, don't ever remember us. We have rejected the message, the wrong theory of Jinnah. We are proud Indian Muslims and till the day of judgment, Inshallah, we will remain as proud Indian Muslims."
"No power on earth can take away my Indianness. No power on earth can take away my religious identity. Why because, the Constitution of India guarantees me that," he said.
The Pakistan Prime Minister should safeguard the Sikhs and stop those who attacked a Sikh gurdwara in Pakistan, Owaisi said. According to Owaisi, the CAA was only made towards making India a Hindu Rashtra.
"We are not against granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Christians, Sikhs from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh...but why are you doing in the name of religion (by excluding Muslims)," he said.
He challenged the Prime Minister to let the countrymen know if they plan to make (implement) NRC or not by 2024. Owaisi further said the protests against CAA, NPR and NRC should continue for another four to five months.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
