Yakub Memon grave: Congress alleges BJP using issue for political interests

Yakub Memon. File Pic

Maharashtra Congress on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the issue of alleged beautification of the grave of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon to further its political interests.

Its statement came amid a controversy that has erupted over the burial place of Memon in Mumbai, wherein the ruling BJP claimed that the grave was "beautified" and attempts were made to turn it into a shrine of sorts. While the BJP blamed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the latter said it was being dragged into the issue unnecessarily.

Swinging into action following the row, Mumbai police on Thursday removed the LED lights put around the grave of Memon. Police said a probe will be carried out how LED lights and marble tiles came to "adorn" the terror convict's grave.

Memon was hanged at Nagpur jail in 2015 and buried at the Bada Qabrastan in south Mumbai.

Maharashtra Congress spokesman Atul Londhe said, "Why did the BJP government hand over the body of terrorist Yakub Memon to his family?...BJP is trying to use the issue of his grave to further its political interest. BJP is harmful for the country."

He alleged that since the BJP does not have answers to the challenges being faced by the people of the country, it is deliberately giving importance to religious issues.

Also Read: Yakub Memon grave 'beautification' irks BJP; Mumbai police order probe

"BJP is working to spoil the religious environment by raising the issue of Memon's grave in the run-up to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. But in 2015, it was the BJP government that had handed over the body of terrorist Yakub Memon to his family," Londhe said.

He said the body of any terrorist cannot be given to the family members.

"After the Congress-led central government hanged terrorist Afzal Guru and 26/11 terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab, they were buried at unknown locations. Congress had taken precautions so that the terrorists are not exalted in the society," he added.

However, the BJP government handed over Memon's body to his family in 2015. The then BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha and Varun Gandhi had also written a letter asking that Memon should not be hanged, Londhe said, and asked, "Will BJP apologise for this?"

The Congress leader said terrorist Masood Azhar was released in Afghanistan by the BJP government and Parliament was also attacked during its rule.

"After the Pathankot attack it was the BJP government that invited Pakistan's spy agency ISI to come to India for investigation," he charged, while adding that the BJP talking about terrorism was a joke.

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