Owaisi's appeal to PM Modi on Independence Day Eve

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would condemn the demolition drive in Haryana's Nuh and the alleged targetted violence, during his Independence Day speech in the national capital on August 15.

Addressing reporters in Hyderabad, Owaisi said on one hand, bulldozers were being used against Muslims, and on the other his house in Delhi came under attack.

“The Prime Minister should condemn demolition in Nuh. If PM Modi has some love for Indian Muslims then I expect him to condemn the targeted violence from the Red Fort tomorrow. We expect the Prime Minister to condemn the way one religion is being targetted, the violence and be it violence in Nuh," the Hyderabad MP said.

According to him, “collective punishment” was given to one community through demolition.

"We condemn the violence, but you are giving collective punishment to one community," Owaisi said and sought to know "where has Prime Minister's 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' gone? Referring to the demolition drive in different states, the AIMIM chief said bulldozer was used in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

"Are there no courts or laws in this country? Will due process be followed or not?" he asked. This is violation of Supreme Court order in the Jahangirpuri case where it said due process (of law) should be followed, he recalled.

Seeking to know why three bills to replace colonial-era CrPC, IPC and Evidence Act were introduced in Parliament, the AIMIM chief said, "Tomorrow we are celebrating Independence Day. I hope that the Prime Minister will take note of this and he will give a strong message on August 15 because this would be his last speech before elections."

To a query on the alleged attack on his Delhi residence, he said: "On one had bulldozers were used to demolish buildings belonging to Muslims in Nuh and perhaps we are waiting for a bulldozer to come to our house also... Whenever I deliver an important speech in the Parliament these people pelt stones... I am a four-time MP and stones are hurled at my house." Owaisi further said he also received a threatening SMS from an unknown person following which a complaint was lodged with the police."

In the last nine years of BJP rule, an atmosphere of fear and insecurity has been created for people to live in, he alleged.