By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen demanded the government of Andhra Pradesh to order a probe into the Sangareddy communal violence and arson that took place on March 29. MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi along with his party leaders visited the violence hit area of the town in Medak district.
Speaking to the media after the visit Owaisi said, “It was a well-planned conspiracy to target minorities’ businesses, as the arsonists were carrying inflammatory material with them during the riots. The police have failed to control the violence; in fact they themselves allowed it to continue. The DSP and the CI who are close to local M.L.A have turned a blind eye to the miscreants during the riots. The local police station and the house of DSP is just 200 meters away from the violence area, so they should be immediately suspended because the acts done by them is of unbecoming of a police officer.”
He also demanded that the role of local Congress MLA T. Jayprakash Reddy should be investigated, “An inquiry should be done by special chief secretary and the role of local MLA T.J. Reddy during the riots should be investigated.”
Mr Owaisi even said that the looting and arson in the town during the riots resemble the targeted violence which took place in Ahmedabad in 2002.
MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi visiting riot-hit area in Sangareddy town of Medak distric – Photo courtesy Etemaad Urdu daily
He also expressed surprise on the attitude of police after the riots. He said even after the Muslims faced so much of loss in the riots, now police is targeting them again by arresting innocent Muslim youths in the cases of instigating riots. He also wondered as to why police have registered only 3 FIRs, when more than 58 shops, 34 vehicles and a mosque were attacked by the rioters.
MIM threatened Congress of a political war if the interest of the Muslims is not protected in the state. He said, “These riots were the wake-up call for the Congress government, now it is high time for them to think beyond Telangana and internal differences in the party. If the law and order is not restored again and the lives and properties of Muslims are not going to be protected then Muslims will teach Congress a good lesson in the next election.”
MIM demanded the government to pay adequate compensation to victims of communal violence based on the new guidelines issued by the union government in 2009 instead of G.O. 566 of 1994. MIM also announced that all the public representatives of the party will donate their one month salary to help the victims of the communal violence.
Later in the day leader of the opposition and the chief of Telugu Desam Party N. Chandra Babu Naidu also visited the riot-hit areas of the town. He was accompanied by Polit bureau member of the party Mr. Zahid Ali khan, and party’s secretary Mohd Saleem.
Mr Naidu said that the Congress government is spreading communalism in the state and the Sangareddy violence was the result of it. He expressed his distress on the inefficiency showed by the police in controlling the rioters. He demanded that miscreants should be arrested and proper compensation should be paid to all of those who were injured or lost their property during the riots.
Curfew is now being relaxed in the town for the whole day time. But still there is an atmosphere of fear among the Muslims in the town as allegedly police is continuing the arrest of innocents Muslims and the minor incidents of violence is continuing like yesterday a hotel belonging to a Muslim was set ablaze near the Eidgah ground of the town.
On 29th March evening, some local Muslims were protesting at local police station against alleged disrespect to Kaaba on the facebook page of Bajrang Dal leader and they were demanding his arrest. But at the same time mobs emerged in support of the Bajrang Dal leader and started looting and destroying properties of Muslims near Old Bus Stand. The arson and looting continued till 1 am.