Azam Khan hits out at BJP over Dadri killing

Image
Press Trust of India Rampur (UP)
Last Updated : Oct 01 2015 | 5:22 PM IST
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Azam Khan today hit out at BJP for the lynching of a man in Dadri by a mob, allegedly over consumption of beef, claiming that the party's strategy is to attract votes by polarising people along communal lines ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections.
"Such heinous acts may be taken as the saffron outfits's preparation for the upcoming UP Assembly elections in 2017. They deem massacre of innocent Muslims as one of the strategies to attract electorate on communal lines," Azam Khan alleged.
"BJP has been inciting large scale violence in UP ahead of the assembly polls. Such incidents are occurring repeatedly after the Muzaffarnagar violence," he said.
Azam claimed that the 50-year-old man was dragged out by the BJP supporters gathered in large numbers, who accused him of sacrificing a cow and bludgeoned him to death.
He challenged the government to impose a countrywide ban on cow slaughter, saying that beef is being openly sold in states like Goa, Meghalaya, Pondicherry and West Bengal.
Alleging that Muslims were being victimised for staying in India like patriots instead of migrating to Pakistan during partition, he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent BJP volunteers from victimizing the community to meet "petty political ends".
Azam took a swipe at PM Modi quoting his plea of "Sarva Dharma Sambhava", saying the blot of 2002 Gujarat riots has not washed off him yet.
He also blamed the Noida administration for not acting swiftly and allowing vehicles fitted with loudspeakers to move on the roads, thus instigating people to join the protest.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 01 2015 | 5:22 PM IST

Next Story