Owaisi seeks legislation to curb mob lynching

Hyderabad, July 6 (IANS) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has demanded a legislation from the Centre to curb the increasing incidents of mob lynching, as directed by the Supreme Court.

He said it had been a year since the apex court directed the Centre to draft a legislation but the Modi government has done nothing.

Terming those indulging in mob lynching as terrorists, Owaisi said these incidents were result of the hatred being spread against Muslims. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discharge his Constitutional responsibility by acting on the incidents of mob lynching.

Owaisi wondered what was stopping the Prime Minister from making the legislation when he constantly talked about winning the confidence of Muslims.

He was addressing a public meeting here late on Friday night to protest the recent killing of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand.

The Hyderabad MP said over 50 persons, majority of them Muslims, have been killed in incidents of mob lynching in the last five years. He said eight persons were lynched since May 23, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the elections to get a second term in power.

Owaisi said in Jharkhand where BJP was in power, 18 people were killed by mobs during the last four-and-half years. Eleven of those killed were Muslims.

The MP said Tabrez Ansari was tied and beaten up by a mob throughout the night and the next day he had to face bias by police, doctors and even jail authorities and was not provided proper treatment, resulting in his death.

He said those who killed Ansari were traitors, enemies of India and terrorists. The MP said there was no difference between them and terror outfit IS.

"I have been saying that mob lynching will not end because people's minds were poisoned about Muslims. This hatred was created over last 50 years but it reached a peak during last five years," he said.

Owaisi said it was unfortunate that the minds of youth, who had not seen the communal riots and demolition of Babri Masjid, were also poisoned.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said Muslims should not lose hope or be afraid of the situation. He urged them to remain united and hold on to their faith while fighting against the oppressors within the limits of democracy and without taking law into their hands.

Referring to the issue of mob lynching being raised in United Nations' Human Rights Council, Owaisi said as an Indian he felt ashamed over it.

The MP wondered how Modi would make India a $5 trillion economy when hatred was being created about 17 crore Muslims and every month someone is killed either in the name of cow, or for not raising slogans, or for having a beard and wearing a skull cap.

Owaisi also referred to the slogan shouting by BJP MPs in Parliament when he and other Muslim MPs were taking oath. "What message were you trying to give to the country," he asked.