Killing of Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf politically motivated and State-sponsored: Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen supremo Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, on Sunday termed the killing of Uttar Pradesh gangster-MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf as politically motivated and state-sponsored. He also condemned the celebration of the extra-judicial killings which he said would not be appreciated by society at large.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle within hours of Atiq Ahmed’s killing, Owaisi wondered how the assailants could go close to him and his brother despite a police guard being present, and open fire at point plank using modern weapons. “After the incident, the ministers in Yogi cabinet announced that the people would reap what they sow and have to settle all their dues in this lifetime,” he pointed out.

Explaining the political motives, the MIM supremo said UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s immediate objective was to win local body polls that are due in the next few months. “In the long run, he wants to position himself as successor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The one upmanship for the post Modi era has begun in the BJP,” he alleged.

Owaisi cautioned that the rise of parallel Hindutva extremism would lead India the Israel way and eventually hurt the BJP. The party would one day be challenged by fellow Hindutva groups who would be more aggressive and would force the BJP to match their aggression. These activities are in sharp contrast to Prime Minister's image-building exercise to reach out to minorities before the international event of G20, he added.