Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 20 (ANI): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday criticised the demolition drive carried out to remove encroachment from cemetery land in Kanpur, alleging that the action was carried out without following due process and questioning the basis on which the structure was demolished.
The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) carried out a demolition drive in the Barra-6 area to remove alleged encroachment on government land, including a portion of land being used as a cemetery, officials said.
Referring to the demolition, which he said took place on Saturday, Owaisi called the incident a matter of "great misfortune and regret" and questioned the manner in which the action was carried out.
"This happened just yesterday, at 5:00 a.m. It is a matter of great misfortune and regret. Nothing is being done according to the law," Owaisi said.
Questioning the action, he said, "On what basis was it demolished? Why are you doing this? You are not sparing the living, nor those who are no longer in this world."
Owaisi alleged that due process and principles of natural justice were not being followed and referred to previous demolitions of mosques and the cemetery in Kanpur.
"This kind of work is being carried out in a very wrong and unacceptable manner. No due process is being followed. The principles of natural justice are not being followed," he said.
"You have demolished many mosques. Now, you have demolished a graveyard in Kanpur," he added.
The AIMIM chief further criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over what he described as the treatment of the Muslim community and alleged that the community was being politically marginalised.
"This is condemnable and clearly shows, in our view, that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is practising the politics of hatred," Owaisi said.
He also raised the issue of political representation of Muslims, saying that the community should not be treated merely as a vote bank.
"The BJP does not give tickets to Muslims, and other parties are also giving very few tickets these days. The plight of Muslims has become such that they are being reduced to mere voters: go out on election day, cast your vote, and then go home and sit quietly," he said.
Owaisi said political parties should instead recognise the community's rights as citizens.
"We are saying, make them citizens with rights," he said.
Referring to the Muzaffarnagar incident, Owaisi also criticised political parties for their response to the issue.
"Even when you were in power, did the Muzaffarnagar incident not happen? You did nothing when you were in power. Now that you are not in power, you do not even open your mouth," he said.
"This is the stark reality of today's Indian politics, in our view: the Muslim community is being marginalised," Owaisi added.
Moving to the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said political parties should be allowed to express their own views and praised BSP chief Mayawati for her political journey.
"Every political party is capable of expressing its own views, and they will speak for themselves," he said.
Owaisi said he has respect for Mayawati's political career, particularly her rise without family or inherited wealth.
"I have always maintained that Mayawati is one of the few people in Indian politics who, without the support of family or inherited wealth, built a political career, made history, and formed a government with a complete majority," he said.
Calling a majority government a significant political achievement, he added, "Becoming Chief Minister with a clear majority is a significant achievement. Therefore, I have immense respect for her."
"Whether or not that will happen again is a different matter, but this fact about her political journey must be acknowledged," Owaisi said.
Commenting on the ongoing political exchange between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP involving AI-generated content, Owaisi said that the focus should instead remain on issues involving human lives and law and order.
He cited several issues that he considers wrongdoing and said they should not be overshadowed by the political debate over AI.
"If we talk about wrongdoing, Muzaffarnagar was wrong. If we talk about wrongdoing, the many riots that took place after Muzaffarnagar were wrong," Owaisi said.
He further referred to demolitions and alleged fake encounters, saying, "If we talk about wrongdoing, demolishing mosques is wrong, demolishing graveyards is wrong, and staging fake encounters is wrong."
Criticising the focus on AI, he said, "Now, forgetting all these wrongdoings, we are chasing AI. The value of human life has become irrelevant." (ANI)
"Not sparing the living or the dead”: Owaisi condemns Kanpur cemetery demolition
