Mayawati backs Owaisi
AMN
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has raised objection over the conferring of Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, to former PM and one of BJP’s tallest leaders, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and padam Bhushan to L K Advani.
How can the country’s second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, be given to Advani who was facing criminal cases in connection with the Babri masjid demolition, Owaisi said at a book release function in Hyderabad.
“The same L K Advani, who spread destruction in the country with his ‘Rathyatra’…This could probably be the first instance of Padma Vibhushan being given to a person who is facing criminal cases,” the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen leader said.
As to Vajpayee, Owaisi alleged that the BJP stalwart had made some controversial comments on the Ayodhya issue, the videos of which were available on the YouTube.
“Have we forgotten December 5 (1992)? The same Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had said ‘we are going to level the ground’ (has been now given the Bharat Ratna),” he claimed.
Reacting to Owaisi’s statement, senior BJP leader and Union Minister MoS Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sarcastically said that it appeared some people want that Osama Bin Laden should be given a great award.
“That’s why those people will question the awarding people who have contributed and given sacrifices for the country, because it does not suit them, and the people who suit them are the ones who are against the country,” he said.
Party leader Vinay Katiyar said honouring both nationalist leaders was a right decision as they served the country with dedication.
BSP Chief Mayawati also demanded that there should be a general criterion for such awards. Talking to media persons outside Parliament, she alleged that both the UPA and the NDA governments had ignored Kanshi Ram for Bharat Ratna.
