HYDERABAD – AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments that restrictions existed only in people’s minds, vis–vis Jammu and Kashmir, was not correct, as CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and others had to move the Supreme Court for a visit there and mobile services have reportedly not yet been restored.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the daughter of former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had to take the Supreme Court’s permission to visit the state, as did CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who wanted to meet his ailing party MLA.
“So whatever he (Shah) is saying, he is not stating the truth,” Owasi said.
He said it was wrong of Shah to state in Parliament that Farooq Abdullah is free.”…later on,he was booked under PSA.”
“If he is speaking the truth, then why is there an undeclared emergency in Kashmir? Why are those selling apples there not wanting to sell apples? Why are schools not opening there? he asked.
“If the restrictions (in J&K) are only in the mind, as he says… if he is speaking the truth, why dont you open cell phone (services)? Who is stopping you?,” Owaisi asked.
On RSS reportedly objecting to certain dialogues, vis–vis J&K in a web series starring Manoj Bajpayee, he said they could complain to the I&B Ministry.
“We have a government controlled by the RSS,”he said.
Asked about RSS leader Krishna Gopal’s reported comments that they do not have any branches in the world and that RSS and India are synonymous, Owaisi said RSS and India cannot be synonymous.
“Because India has a Constitution which is inclusive…
India’s Constitution celebrates all religions.
India’s Constitution does not say that one religion is above other religions… RSS is not inclusive.
He alleged that RSS believes in exclusiveness, supremacy of one religion and wants to convert the country into a theocratic nation.
The AIMIM chief claimed that the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Patel had also criticised RSS and imposed a ban on the outfit and removed it, saying it should accept the Constitution and the tricolor.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to IIT, Chennai and the ‘go back Modi’ comments on social media, Owaisi said expression of such views are part of democracy, where the Prime Minister, BJP and RSS can be criticised.
On the death sentence of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singhs killers being commuted to life, he demanded to know if this was BJP’s “zero tolerance against terrorism”.
He congratulated the Sikh community for having the ‘political wherewithal’ to ensure that Rajoana, who was convicted, was not given capital punishment.
“Because of the political strength of the community, they forced the Modi government to ensure that the killer of Beant Singh was not given capital punishment,” he claimed.
Referring to the hanging of Yakub Memon for his role in the Mumbai blasts, Owaisi said he had never supported him, but always questioned the Centre’s power to exercise it in such a way that the sentence of a killer of a Chief Minister is commuted to life.
“And then you tom-tom to the whole world that we have zero tolerance towards terrorism. I want to ask what is this,” he said.
“…But, at the same time, the Sikh community has shown that what unity brings and how they can do it. If they are doing it now, will the government also release prisoners when any religious ceremony takes place, of any religion? Will you show the same compassion and release everyone?
Let the government do that. I will be the first one to suggest, their policy has a uniformity,” he said.
On the Bihar floods and comments of leaders, including Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said flooding of even hospitals shows what has been done in the last 15 years to improve infrastructure.
He said he would request Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Patna and announce funds for ensuring relief in Bihar.
On the Centre asking RBI for interim dividends, Owaisi said it clearly showed that the GDP was not five per cent, but less than that.
“We are into recession. It also clearly tells us that GST revenue payments have decreased a lot.
Things are very, very bad. This is a clear cut message by the government that they are not in control and that they can never walk the talk,” he said. (PTI)
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