AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi sparks row over capital punishment to Yakub Memon

HYDERABAD: Triggering controversy over capital punishment to Yakub Memon in Mumbai blasts case, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today sought to know whether the perpetrators of demolition of disputed structure in Ayodhya, communal riots of Mumbai and Gujarat and other such sensational cases would get a similar punishment.

"Why have not perpetrators of demolition of Babri Masjid been convicted and will they also be given capital punishment as that is the original sin?" the Hyderabad MP said while addressing a gathering here.

Alleging that the recommendations of Sri Krishna Commission have been put in cold storage both by the BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP governments in Maharashtra, he wondered how many have been convicted in the Mumbai riots of December, 1992 and January, 1993.

"1,000 people killed in communal riots of December, 1992 and January, 1993. How many are convicted?" he asked.

"Will Sadhvi Pragya, Col. Purohit and Swami Aseemanand, whose name cropped up in connection with Malegaon blasts, would get capital punishment," he said, adding "this is up to NIA to prove to courts."

"Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh killers have backing of respective political parties, that is why they have not been given capital punishment," Owaisi said.

He claimed that the Narendra Modi government did not allow SIT investigating the case of Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi, convicted for life in a Gujarat riots case, to appeal and enhance it to death sentence.

"Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi convicted to life for killing 97 Muslims were given conviction for life and Narender Modi's government did not allow SIT investigating the case to appeal and enhance it to death. SIT dropped its plans for both Kodnani and Bajrangi," he alleged.