India / 'Your lesson was to let criminals go free', Owaisi hits back at Shah's 2002 statement

Controversial comment in Gujarat election rally: The rhetoric among political parties regarding the assembly elections in Gujarat is at its peak. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comment on the 2002 riots at an election rally here. Owaisi said that Amit Shah's lesson was actually about letting criminals go free.

Addressing a public meeting in Juhapura, the area with the largest Muslim population in Gujarat, Owaisi said, "Today, Mr. Amit Shah, the MP here, said somewhere in his speech that because of the lesson we taught in 2002, Gujarat Peace has been established.

He said, 'I would like to tell the MP of this area, I would like to tell the Home Minister of India that the lesson you taught in 2002 was that you will spare those who raped Bilkis Bano. The lesson you taught that you will spare those who murdered Bilkis's 3 year old daughter in front of her mother. Ehsan Jafri will be killed, you also taught this lesson. You taught the lesson of Gulberg Bakery.

'Which lessons will we remember from you'

Owaisi further said, 'Which lessons will we remember from you, Mr. Amit Shah? Remember, peace is strengthened only when justice is done to the oppressed. What lesson did you teach that there were riots in Delhi, atrocities were committed.

Addressing the meeting, Owaisi said, 'The power is never with any one person. One day the power will go. Intoxicated by power, the Home Minister is saying today that we have taught a lesson. What lesson did you learn? You have become infamous in the whole country. What lesson did you teach that there were communal riots in Delhi.

'Taught such a lesson that there is peace for 22 years'

In fact, Amit Shah had said on Thursday that those responsible for communal riots in Gujarat were taught such a lesson that there has been peace in the state for 22 years. Shah said in Mahudha town of Kheda district, “During the Congress rule in Gujarat (before 1995), there were large-scale communal riots. Congress used to incite people of different communities and castes to fight against each other. Through such riots, the Congress strengthened its vote bank and did injustice to a large section of the society.