Union Minister Mahesh Sharma criticises Asad Owaisi for terming Dadri incident a pre planned murder

Kejriwal visits Dadri, slams parties over ''votebank politics''

After being initially stopped by administration, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today met the family of the man, who was lynched over rumour of beef consumption, and attacked parties alleging they were spreading poison between Hindus and Muslims for their votebank politics. The Aam Aadmi Party chief was initially asked by local police not to visit Bishada village due to simmering tension. Some locals also protested against visitors, including politicians and mediapersons who have been flocking the village since the Monday night incident. The Chief Minister questioned why AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma were not stopped by the administration yesterday from visiting the family and alleged that other parties were vitiating the atmosphere for political gains. "What happened in Dadri was against humanity. It was totally wrong. Who benefited from it, neither Hindus nor Muslims. Only political parties and politicians are benefiting," Kejriwal said. He said political parties were engaging in vote bank politics. "One political party is trying to consolidate Hindu vote bank while another is trying to make Muslim their vote bank by spreading poison between the two communities. It is wrong," he said. "If somebody thinks Hindu religion is in danger and that is why Muslims are being targeted, then he cannot be a Hindu," he said. Kejriwal also took to twitter, saying, "We r stopped by police n admn. Mahesh Sharma n Owaisi not stopped yest. Then y me? I am most peace loving. Want 2 jst meet Ikhlak's family (sic)." "I am being accused of doing politics. Yes, I am doing politics. But I am doing politics of unity and love. They are doing politics of hatred," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted earlier. Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a 200-strong mob which had barged into their house on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh. "We firmly believe that Hindus n Muslims have to stay united and not become vote banks. They want to divide people," said Kejriwal in another tweet. .

Politicos spar over Dadri killing, question PM''s silence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today came under strident opposition attack for his silence on the lynching of a man over suspected beef consumption, with leaders contending he should have at least condemned it through his usual tweets as tension simmered in the village on Delhi's outskirts. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who visited Bishada village near Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, the scene of the crime which has outraged the nation, to console Mohammed Iqlakh's family, questioned Modi's silence on the "pre-planned murder". "We had expected that the least the Prime Minister, who talks of 'sabka saath-sabka vikas' (inclusivity)', would tweet to condole Iqlakh's murder. "Yesterday, he had tweeted to condole famous singer Asha Bhosale's son's death. The 'sabka saath-sabka vikas PM' should have at least sent his condolences in a tweet if he believes in pluralism and upholding of law," the controversial Hyderabad MP, known for his sharp tongue, said. Mamata Banerjee's TMC also assailed Modi for keeping quiet after the Monday night killing of Iqlakh by a rampaging mob of 200 people, which dragged him out of his home to the street and stoned him to death over allegations of cow slaughter and beef eating. TMC MP Sultan Ahmed demanded that Modi make a statement on communal incidents in the country in order to stop RSS and other outfits from "disrupting" communal harmony. "We want to know why is Narendra Modi silent on the recent killing of a person only over rumours of consuming beef. This is nothing but spreading communal poison in the society and disrupting the fabric of the country," TMC MP Sultan Ahmed told PTI in Kolkata. "Modi keeps on speaking about each and every issue. But he stays mum on various communal incidents. He should speak up in order to stop RSS, VHP from destroying communal peace." Congress also demanded that the Prime Minister speak up and condemn the attack. "The Prime Minister tweets on every issue, but has not said a word about the incident. He should break his silence and condemn the incident", party spokesman R P N Singh said. CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said his party is surprised at Modi's "silence" on such "irrational and intolerant" killing of innocent people. Amid rising political temperature over the incident that has sent shock waves through the country, Bishada continued its uncomfortable tryst with media spotlight, while remaining under the protective shadow of the gun. Contingents of Provincial Armed Constabulary and state police were strategically deployed across the village where prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people continued to be in force. District Magistrate M P Singh claimed the situation was under control and reasoned that the incident should be treated as a "solitary case" and not a communal clash as no other Muslim family was affected.

Asad Owaisi attacks PM, terms Dadri incident a 'planned murder' over religion

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who visited the family of the man killed here by a mob over rumours that they had consumed beef, today alleged that he was targeted for his religion and questioned the Prime Minister's "silence". Owaisi, who heads the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), met the wife of deceased Iqlakh this morning and alleged that it was pre-planned murder. "This wasn't an attack over meat. It was murder over religion to spread politics of hatred of a party. This is a pre-planned, cold-blooded killing. It cannot be an accident. "This is the thought which is against secularism, it is against the brotherhood of India. It sees Muslims with an eye of suspicion," the Hyderabad MP said. Owaisi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence" on the issue, saying the he sholld have at least sent his condolences in a tweet if "he believes in pluralism and upholding of law". "... we were expecting the PM would have at lease sent condolences to Sartaj (victim's son) and condemned it. We were expecting that the PM who says 'sabka saath sabka vikaas' should have condoled at least with a tweet." The AIMIM leader also hit out at Union Minister and local MP Mahesh Sharma who had termed the attack as an "accident". "Mahesh Sharma is the Culture Minister of the country and it is unfortunate that the minister who has taken oath on the Constitution doesn't have the courage and intellectual honesty to condemn the incident unconditionally," Owaisi said. "He and his PM say 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas', then such incidents happen. These words should be put into practice," he said. He also hit out at the Samajwadi government, saying instead of nabbing the attackers it was "conducting forensic test on a piece of meat and treating the victim as accused". "They have so much poison in their minds that a person who had died, rather than treating him as a victim, they are treating him as an accused," he said. Owaisi demanded that the accused be charged with IPC section related to murder and a time-bound trial be held. He said that he feared that Samajwadi Party government will let the accused go scot-free "as had happened after Muzaffarnagar riots". Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a 200-strong mob which barged into their house on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh.

Mahesh Sharma now wants impartial probe into Dadri incident

As BJP came under intensified attack over the killing of man here over rumour that he had eaten beef, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma today said parties should refrain from playing politics by giving communal colour to the incident and there should be an impartial probe by CBI or the state to punish the guilty. Sharma, who is also the local BJP MP, visited the family of deceased Iqlakh and stuck to his stand that it was an "accident", soon after controversial AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi met them and alleged that the man was targeted for his religion as part of a "pre-planned" conspiracy. "It is a blot on our culture and such incidents do not have a place in a civilised society. If somebody says it was pre-planned, I don't agree with it. It is an accident and investigation should happen by CBI or state and guilty should be punished. Innocents should not be victimised in the name of investigation. "Law should take its course and there should be fair investigation. I condemn any attempt to give political or communal colour to this incident. Such people are neither well wishers of the society nor of the country," Sharma said. The Minister also held a meeting at the village temple and said Hindu families have promised to protect the Muslim families. His remarks came as parties stepped up attack on the BJP, alleging that it was trying to polarise the people on religious lines with such incidents. After meeting the victim's family, AIMIM leader Owaisi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on the issue, saying the "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas PM" should have at least sent his condolences in a tweet if "he believes in pluralism and upholding of law". "This wasn't an attack over meat. He has been killed in the name of religion. This is a pre-planned, cold-blooded killing. It cannot be an accident," he said. The AIMIM leader also hit out at Union Minister Mahesh Sharma. "Mahesh Sharma is the Culture Minister of the country and it is unfortunate that the minister who has taken oath on the Constitution doesn't have the courage and intellectual honesty to condemn the incident unconditionally," the Hyderabad MP said. "He and his PM say 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas', then such incidents happen. These words should be put into practice," he said. Breaking his silence, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhikesh Yadav too targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying those who spoke against "pink revolution" should ban beef exports and alleged that they wanted to disturb the "secular" ethos of the country by raising such issues.

Those who claim to feel the pain even on a puppy's death are silent on the inhuman Dadri killing.

Death toll of Indians in Haj stampede rises to 51

The number of Indians killed in the Haj stampede rose to 51 today as authorities identified six more bodies with 38 Indian pilgrims being treated for injuries in the worst tragedy in 25 years to hit the pilgrimage. According to the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, 46 Indians had died until September 28. By October 1, the death toll climbed to 51. Haj Consulate in Jeddah said the deceased included two pilgrims from Kerala, one each from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir. Saudi Arabia has put the overall death toll at 769. The number of injured in the tragedy stands at 934 while hundreds of people are still unaccounted for. King Salman has ordered the formation of a committee to probe the deadly incident during the five-day pilgrimage in which around two million people from over 180 countries took part. From India, 1.5 lakh pilgrims performed Haj. Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam that should be performed at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is financially and physically capable. The stampede broke out after two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other from different directions at an intersection close to the five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Mina for symbolic stoning of the devil. It was the second major accident this year for pilgrims, after a construction crane collapsed on September 11 at Mecca's Grand Mosque, killing over 100 people, including 11 Indians.