Arrest Yogi for creating hatred, demands Owaisi

Hyderabad, March 26 (IANS) MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday demanded arrest of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for creating hatred against Muslims by calling Congress leader Imran Masood a relative of Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.

Owaisi said the Election Commission should get the UP Chief Minister booked and arrested under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code.

Addressing an election meeting on Monday night, Owaisi said Yogi was linking Imran Masood to Masood Azhar because of the Muslim name.

Imran Masood is Congress candidate from Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Owaisi, who is seeking re-election from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency for a fourth term, also urged the Election Commission to remove Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh for making an appeal to people to vote for Narendra Modi.

"I want to ask Kalyan Singh, are you a governor or a political leader. If you have some respect for Constitution, you should resign," he said.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief also slammed Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for his statement that if BJP doesn't win the elections, Pakistan will win. He said the parties trying to defeat Modi so that India became successful and democracy was strengthened.

"This fight is to protect India's composite culture and brotherhood in which the central government failed."

Owaisi said at an election meeting two days ago he had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should own up responsibility for failing to prevent terror attack at Pulwama in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

"I had asked if he had eaten biryani and slept. As usual TV channels reported that I used word 'bade ki biryani' (beef biryani). Modi's 'chamche' on social media asked me don't you know he doesn't eat meat. I don't know. How do I know. Had I gone to his house to see. He may not eat. That's his choice."

Stating that chowkidar should be 'zimmedar'(responsible), Owaisi said he should explain how 50 kg RDX was brought under his nose.

The MIM leader poked fun at Modi for promoting sale of T-shirts and other merchandise as part of 'mein bhi chowkidar' campaign.

"Parents want to see children in good positions but he is asking them to wear T-shirts of chowkidar," he said.

Owaisi slammed Modi for providing Rs 1,500 crore from State Bank of India (SBI) to Jet Airways and said it was another instance to prove that he is favouring the rich. He wondered how Modi could offer the funding without approval from the cabinet. "This is public money not anybody's baap ki jagir," he said.

He alleged that BJP leaders and a NCP leader used to stay as guests at Naresh Goyal's house in London.