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'Were you sleeping?’: Owaisi's jibe at Gujarat govt over Ram Navami violence
Asaduddin Owaisi's latest statement comes after his series of tweets on Monday in which he alleged that Hindu mobs with the help of police were “provoking or participating” in violence, including in Gujarat's Khambat and Himmatnagar.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed the Gujarat government over clashes during Ram Navami, arguing that it should have deployed more police force to prevent violence. Clashes in Khambhat in Anand district on April 10 left one person dead, while another in Himmatnagar the next day led to the arrest of 10 persons.
Owaisi took a sharp swipe at Gujarat Police and asked if they were 'sleeping'. He claimed they had intelligence reports and should have been able to foresee the violence. "You (the state governemnt) should have exposed it, deployed more police and stopped the violence. You bring stories in evening to hide your complicit behaviour," he told news agency ANI.
Owaisi also declared 'such stories are now old' and asked the state government - which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party - how long it would continue to offer 'old stories'.
"Accept your failure. You yourself are complicit. Bhajan should be played but what kind of slogans were raised? 50-100 swords were brandished. This was done in police presence. [The] government wanted violence," he was quoted as saying.
Owaisi's statement comes after tweets Monday in which he alleged Hindu mobs, with the help of police, were 'provoking or participating' in the violence, including in Khambat and Himmatnagar. He also claimed Ram Navami processions were being used to make hate speeches against Muslims.
Police on Wednesday said the Khambhat violence was a pre-planned conspiracy. They also said people behind the clashes had been influenced by social media and triggered by videos.
"With an aim to stop these celebrations (Ram Navami and its processions) and to increase the dominance of the Muslim community in the area, the procession was attacked," the police statement read.
Clashes broke out in Himmatnagar on Monday night with two groups throwing stones at each other. Police Superintendent Vishal Vaghela told Hindustan Times that when security forces reached the spot, stones were hurled at them as well. Tear gas shells were lobbed later to disperse the mob.
As many as 600 people have been booked in connection to Khambat violence, while 39 people have been arrested for their alleged role in clashes in both the regions.
