Bengaluru: Days after Uttar Pradesh gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf had been killed in Prayagraj whereas in police custody, the difficulty has turn out to be part of political discourse in Karnataka, with the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) Thursday mounting assault on Congress member of Parliament (MP) Imran Pratapgarhi over his alleged hyperlinks with Ahmed.
The Congress Wednesday had included Pratapgarhi’s title in an inventory of 40 star campaigners for the celebration, forward of subsequent month’s meeting elections in Karnataka.
Shobha Karandlaje, union minister and BJP MP from Udupi-Chikmagalur, alleged Thursday that Pratapgrahi was a detailed aide of Ahmed and his household and had made a number of speeches to impress Muslims towards the Hindu group prior to now , together with in Karnataka.
“One title [in the list of Congress star campaigners] that makes us anxious is that of an individual who was a detailed aide of dreaded gangster of Uttar Pradesh, Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Ahmed and his son Asad Ahmed. Asad was killed in a police encounter whereas Atiq and his brother Ashraf had been killed by the general public on their technique to the hospital. Pratapgarhi is a detailed pal of Atiq Ahmed and saved referring to him as his guru and brother. He used to jot down shayaris (poetry) about him,” Karandlaje alleged.
She additional claimed that Pratapgrahi had composed and recited poetry about not simply the slain gangster-politician, but in addition towards India, the society and to pit Muslims towards Hindus.
Pratapgarhi is a Congress Rajya Sabha MP and likewise the nationwide chairman of the celebration’s minority cell.
Regardless of being accused in 130-odd instances, Ahmed had been convicted for the primary time solely final month. He, his gang and members of his household had been additionally accused within the taking pictures of BJP chief Umesh Pal in February this yr and the 2005 homicide of Bahujan Samaj Social gathering (BSP) MLA Raju Pal.
Ahmed and Ashraf had been shot lifeless, allegedly by three males posing as journalists, whereas being taken for a medical check-up in police custody. A day earlier than, one in every of Ahmed’s sons, Asad, and his ‘companion’ Ghulam had been killed in an encounter by UP Police.
Ahmed’s killing whereas in police custody drew sharp criticism for the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP authorities, with opposition events questioning the state of legislation and order in UP.
Referring to Pratapgarh’s title being introduced as a part of an inventory of Congress star campaigners, Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser, Ministry of Info & Broadcasting, Authorities of India, took to Twitter to air his issues.
“Meet Imran Pratapgarhi, Congress MP (Rajya Sabha) and chairman of the Minority Division of All India Congress Committee. His proximity to gangsters ‘Atik Bhai’ and ‘Ashraf Sahib’ is well-known. It’s a relationship that goes again in time. Right here is Imran Pratapgarhi boasting that the infamous gangsters got here house for dinner,” Gupta wrote on Twitter, referring to a previous submit by the Congress chief.
Gupta tagged additionally tagged Pratapgarhi’s purported April 2015 tweet the place he had shared a photograph of Ahmed and Ashraf and written, “Kal raat Atiq bhai aur Ashraf saheb hamaari kutiya par ek chhoti si daawat par tashrif le aaye. [Last night brother Atiq and Ashraf saheb came to my humble abode for a meal].”
Different BJP leaders, together with the celebration’s nationwide spokesperson Sambit Patra, hit out at Pratapgarhi’s inclusion amongst star Congress campaigners for the Karnataka elections.
ThePrint reached Pratapgarhi for remark over telephone however obtained no response until the time of publication of this report. ThePrint additionally reached Randeep Singh Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee normal secretary accountable for Karnataka, however obtained no response until the time of publication of this report. The copy will probably be up to date as soon as a response is obtained.
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‘Politics of boti boti katana
On Thursday, whereas talking on a Surat court docket convicting former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case, Patra additionally referred to Pratapgarhi’s title being introduced as a star campaigner by the Congress.
“That is Congress celebration’s character to advertise those that converse towards India and make them star campaigners. The way in which Imran Pratapgarhi has turn out to be a star campaigner in Karnataka, we have now issued his previous statements the place he had glorified beheading, and regarded folks like Atiq Ahmed his guru, however this isn’t occurring for the primary time,” Patra alleged.
Karandlaje Thursday shared an undated purported video byte of Pratapgarhi when he seems to be saying Muslims will chop off heads however not bow earlier than anyone.
He added that some political events promote these individuals who consider within the politics of “boti boti kaatna (breaking into items)”.
“This is identical Congress that mentioned a grave of Modi will probably be dug. What are you able to anticipate from such a celebration? This is identical celebration the place Mani Shankar Aiyar is a star campaigner, who goes to Pakistan and urges the elimination of Modi. Congress and appeasement are synonymous,” Patra mentioned.
In February this yr, a video, purportedly of Congress leaders protesting at an airport tarmac in Delhi went viral, during which chants of “tanashahi nahi chalegi (down with dictatorship)” and “Modi teri kabar khudegi (Modi your grave will probably be dug)” appeared to have been raised.
The BJP, within the run-up to the Karnataka elections had been focussing extra on the alleged failure of the previous Congress authorities within the state beneath Siddaramaiah and issues in its nationwide management.
However Pratapgarhi’s inclusion within the listing of campaigners has once more moved it to convey up points just like the celebration of Tipu Sultan Jayanthi and alleged safety of radical organisations just like the now-banned Fashionable Entrance of India (PFI)
Union house minister Amit Shah had in December requested in a public assembly in Bengaluru if voters in Karnataka wished to again these constructing the Ram temple or those that glorify Tipu Sultan.
Later in March, Karnataka BJP minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan and different members of the celebration had claimed two Vokkaliga chieftains, Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, had killed Tipu, the 18th century Mysore ruler, in 1799.
Historians refute this declare and even the pinnacle pontiff of the Sri Adichunchunagiri Matha, Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swami, had requested BJP minister Munirathna to rethink his choice to make a movie on these two “fictional” characters.
The transfer was seen because the BJPs try to get the backing of the dominant Vokkaliga group, a decisive votebank in many of the meeting seats in Outdated Mysuru districts.
Karandlaje claimed Thursday that Siddaramaiah had introduced the celebration of Tipu Sultan Jayanthi in 2015, which no Muslim within the state had requested for.
“There was a giant riot (in Kodagu) in the course of the first yr of celebrations of Tipu Sultan Jayanthi [in 2015] during which [D.S.] Kuttappa [a Vishva Hindu Parishad worker] was stoned to loss of life,” she alleged.
The union minister additionally focused the Congress for allegedly supporting the Fashionable Entrance of India (PFI). In 2015, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress authorities in Karnataka had reportedly withdrawn instances towards some who had been allegedly a part of the PFI.
In September final yr, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP authorities on the centre had banned the PFI and its associates, cracking down on a number of of its staff in varied elements of the nation.
The Social Democratic Social gathering of India (SDPI), the political wing of the banned PFI, is contesting this yr’s meeting elections in Karnataka.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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