Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and former Minister, Haji Yaqub Quereshi created controversy by supporting the terrorist attack onoffice of a French satire magazine in Paris and also announcing to give an award of Rs 51 crore to the attackers.
Quereshi’s statement drew an immediate condemnation from the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP which demanded a case under National Security Act (NSA) be registered against him. Congress leader, Shahzad Punewalla, also claimed to have a faxed a letter to director general of police, AK Gupta, urging to get a case registered in the matter and stern action against Quereshi.
Speaking in Meerut, Quereshi justified the attack on the office of the satire magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’ claiming that it was in retaliation for disrespect shown to Prophet Mohammad. He said anybody who dares to show disrespect for the Prophet will invite death like the cartoonists and journalists of the magazine. Quereshi had earlier hit the headlines in 2006 after declaring a reward of Rs 51
crore for anyone who would kill the Danish cartoonist who had created a controversial cartoon on the Prophet. BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak, demanding action against Quereshi, said, ‘’We believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’(the entire world is one family) but such a statement merely to gain cheap
popularity is not allowed.’’ In a democracy, people have freedom of speech, but such remarks encourages hatred in society and such people should be put in jail or admitted to a mental hospital, he added.Additional Director General (law and order)of Police Mukul Goel said, ‘’We can initiate action against the leader only after examining his statement under the purview of law.’’ Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is facing a sort of revolt when it leaders are friticising the leadership if Ms Mayawati and leaving the party. After Rajya Sabha Member Jugal Kishore and former MlA Bala Kumar Awasthi, now former lucknow district panchayat chairperson Puspha Rawat has resigned from the party blaming Mayawati of demanding Rs 60 lakhs for giving ticket for the coming assembly elections in the state from
Mohanlalganj (Reserved) seat. ‘The district coordinator of the party was demanding Rs 60 lakhs from me for the assembly ticket on the directives of Ms Mayawati,’she alleged. Talking to media, Rawat said
that when a dalit like me are not spared in the BSP, then what will happen to the general candidates. She said that she has resigned from the BSP and gave enough indications on joining the BJP in future.