Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, has made a major statement about mob lynchings. When asked about recent cases of mob lynching, the Union Minister said most of these cases are fake and concocted. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was replying to India Today’s question on controversial SP leader Azam Khan’s bizarre statement that Muslims were still serving punishment since 1947. The SP leader recently courted a controversy by saying, “If Muslims went to Pakistan, they would not get this punishment. Why our ancestors did not go to Pakistan? They regarded India as their own country. Now they will be punished and they will have to endure.”
Azam Khan who is an MP from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh claimed that Muslims have not been able to live a dignified life in India ever since the country got independent. The lawmaker said, “We have been living a very disgusting life since 1947, and we are very ashamed of it.”
Recently, it was reported that the district administration has put Azam Khan’s name on an online list of land mafia following registration of FIRs against him. Incidentally, during his outburst about Muslims not being able to live a dignified life in India, he also alleged that the UP government is fabricating the land dispute cases against him because he had managed to defeat the BJP Lok Sabha candidate, Jaya Prada.
Meanwhile, Congress has also come out trying to launch a tirade against Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala criticised Naqvi and said, “I respect Naqvi ji but does he even know what is happening with minority in this country?” He added, “BJP doesn’t feel anything for the minorities. Everyone in the ruling party is trying to shield the culprits.”
It must be noted that there have been misleading reports about mob lynchings in the recent past. Recently, the family members of Tabrez Ansari, who was allegedly lynched by a mob in Jharkhand, condemned reports stating that Ansari’s father, Maskoor Alam, was also a victim of mob lynching 15 years ago. The family disclosed that Tabrez’s father had been murdered over a dispute with friends.
Junaid Khan lynching case is also an example of how a scuffle over a seat was given a communal colour by certain media outlets. The Punjab and Haryana High Court while passing the order granting bail to the accused Rameshwar Dass, had categorically stated that there is no evidence of any prior planning to commit the crime intentionally or deliberately or to create disharmony. This exposed the misleading reports which had emerged following the incident.