Amid a controversy over the BJP’s demand for slapping sedition charge against AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi over his visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb at Aurangabad, the Congress on Monday wondered as to what was holding the Modi Government from restricting or banning the entry to the infamous Mughal emperor’s tomb which comes under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
While posting photographs and videos of several BJP leaders who had visited the burial site of the late Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb at Khuldabad in Aurangabad on his twitter handle, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said: “Aurangzeb's tomb is under jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India. Modi Government can control, restrict or even ban entry. Why does Modi Govt not register complaints against Owaisi?” .
Seeking to corner former chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis over the visit of a BJP leader to Aurangazeb’s tomb at Aurangabad, Sawant posted the photograph of a BJP leader visiting the Aurangazeb’s tomb and tweeted: “Watch Khalid Qureshi, VP of BJP's Minority Affairs, doing what fadnavis ji described”
“Also, BJP national executive member and spokesperson, Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board president Dr Darakshan Andrabi had visited Aurangzeb's tomb during the Corona period. When Fadnavis was CM Asaduddin Owaisi had gone to the grave in 2019. So why blame MVA govt for no action (against Owaisi)?,” Sawant asked.
Sawant came down heavily on BJP, MNS and the Independent MP Navneet Kaur-Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana for blaming the MVA government for Telangana MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangabad’s tomb.
It may be recalled that following Owaisi’s visit to Aurangazeb’s tomb on May 12, BJP MLA Ram Kadam had said that if the State government had the guts, they ought to slap a sedition charge on the AIMIM leader.
“We dare the Uddhav Thackeray government to take action under sedition charges against Owaisi. They should now display their courage and act against him for this anti-national act,” Kadam had said.