Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday urged the Supreme Court to constitute an investigation team to probe the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, and demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Mr. Owaisi was speaking to the media where he expressed grave concern over the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh (UP). “If the UP CM has any constitutional morality, then he should resign,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi who talks of sabka saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas, should stop acting like Pontius Pilate.
“I have said since the beginning: the BJP government in UP does not run the government on rule of law, but by the rule of the gun,” he said, and claimed that the killing happened because those sitting in positions of power lack compassion and humanity.
Mr Owaisi, on the one hand, hoped that the SC would take up the case suo motu, and on the other, “pleaded” that the apex court constitute an investigation team that would exclude any officer from UP. The investigation should proceed in a time-bound manner, under the watchful eye of the apex court, he said.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president raised grave concerns over what he said is the radicalisation in the majority community and urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take stock of the situation. “If the BJP is winning election upon election, and is not looking at this issue (radicalisation), then the BJP is not serving the country,” he said.
Describing the killing as “cold-blooded”, Mr Owaisi sought to know how the killers, who he said appeared like professionals, were radicalised, and expressed concern over the accused raising religious slogans soon after gunning down the duo.
He said that all Indian citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliations, and believe in the Constitution and the rule of law, now feel weak and unsafe.
