DADRI: Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on Dadri lynching incident, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who met the victim's family today, said the PM should also visit them and accused parties of spreading poison between communities for votebank politics.
After being briefly stopped by the local administration, the Aam Aadmi Party chief visited the family 50 year-old Iqlakh, who was killed by a mob on Monday night over rumours that he and his family ate beef, and interacted with some people in Bishada village where simmering tension was still palpable.
"Many political leaders have visited Dadri. But PM is silent till now. People will be happy if PM also visited and reassured victims and villagers," Kejriwal tweeted, hours after his visit to Bishada. Kejriwal was initially asked by local police not to visit the village due to tense situation. Some locals also protested against visitors, including politicians and mediapersons who have been flocking the village since the Monday night incident.
"What happened in Dadri was against humanity. It was totally wrong. Who benefited from it, neither Hindus nor Muslims. Only political parties and politicians are benefiting," Kejriwal told reporters. He said political parties were engaging in vote bank politics.
"One political party is trying to consolidate Hindu vote bank while another is trying to make Muslim their vote bank by spreading poison between the two communities. It is wrong," he said.
"If somebody thinks Hindu religion is in danger and that is why Muslims are being targeted, then he cannot be a Hindu," he said.
The Chief Minister questioned why AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma were not stopped by the administration yesterday from visiting the family and alleged that other parties were vitiating the atmosphere for political gains.
"We r stopped by police n admn. Mahesh Sharma n Owaisi not stopped yest. Then y me? I am most peace loving. Want 2 jst meet Ikhlak's family (sic)."
"I am being accused of doing politics. Yes, I am doing politics. But I am doing politics of unity and love. They are doing politics of hatred," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted after he was stopped from going to the village.
Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a 200-strong mob which had barged into their house on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh.
"We firmly believe that Hindus n Muslims have to stay united and not become vote banks. They want to divide people," said Kejriwal in another tweet.
Yesterday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had visited Bishada village to console Iqlakh's family and had questioned the Prime Minister's "silence" on the "pre-planned murder".
Owaisi had rubbished claims that Iqlakh's family was attacked because of rumours that it had eaten beef and alleged he was done to death because of his religion.
Union minister Mahesh Sharma, local BJP MP, had also visited the bereaved family yesterday. He stated that the killing was an "accident" which should not be given a communal colour and over which no politics should be done as it may prove to be "dangerous".
There were also reports that a group of women had driven out mediapersons and other visitors from the village. Contingents of Provincial Armed Constabulary and state police have been deployed across the village where prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people continued to be in force.
District Magistrate M P Singh had claimed that the situation was under control and contended that the incident should be treated as a "solitary case" and not a communal clash as no other Muslim family was affected.