Asaduddin Owaisi doing communal politics over terrorism: BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP today hit out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for remarks suggesting that Mumbai blasts convict Yakum Memon was awarded capital punishment because of his religion, alleging that he was doing "communal politics" over terrorism and nothing could be "uglier" than this.

"He has done communal politics over terrorism. There can not be an uglier form of communal politics. Owaisi sees religion in everything. The decision for execution is taken by the Supreme Court not government," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

He also cited as to how Owaisi in a parliamentary committee meeting had questioned "Hindu" names like Agni, Aakash and Arjun for defence weaponry.

On Owaisi's query about who had given them "Hindu" names, an officer present replied that it was A P J Abdul Kalam, the noted scientist who went on to become the President of India, Javadekar recalled, while lashing out at the Hyderabad MP.

In controversial remarks over capital punishment to Memon, Owaisi 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 similar punishment.

"Why haven't 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, hinting that Memon was being hanged because of his religion.