"Graves Of Indians Who Lost Their Lives In Violence...": Owaisi On Bharat Ratna To LK Advani
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has come up with a scathing attack on the decision to honour Lal Krishna Advani with Bharat Ratna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced earlier in the day the decision to bestow the former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP veteran with Bharat Ratna, country’s top most civilian award.
Mr Owaisi”s attack on the decision centered on the Rath Yatra Mr. Advani undertook in 1990, which paved the way for the Kar Seva at Babri Masjid and reportedly caused the killing of hundreds in communal clashes.
“Well deserved Bharat Ratna for LK Advani. The graves of Indians who lost their lives in violence are nothing but stepping stones,” Mr Owaisi commented on the decision.
Well deserved #BharatRatna for LK Advani. The graves of Indians who lost their lives in violence are nothing but stepping stones. pic.twitter.com/UwtdENrvLf
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 3, 2024
The AIMIM leader has also shared an infographics of violence and deaths happened during the Rath Yatra by Mr Advani.
LK Advani, a prominent leader and founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), embarked on a highly significant political journey known as the Rath Yatra in 1990.
This procession, was a pivotal event in Indian politics, marking the beginning of a fervent campaign for the construction of a Ram temple at the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
Advani”s Rath Yatra aimed to mobilize public support for the Hindu nationalist cause, tapping into sentiments of religious identity and historical grievances. However, the Rath Yatra also ignited fierce communal tensions across the country, leading to violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims. The yatra”s culmination at Ayodhya set the stage for subsequent events, including the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, which remains one of the most contentious episodes in modern Indian history.
Born in 1927, Lal Krishna Advani served as the home minister and then deputy Prime minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP government from 2022 to 2004. Inspired by the ideals of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he became an RSS worker as early as 1947. He was also part of the BJP’s predecessor, Jana Sangh. It was after his Ram Janmabhoomi movement in Ayodhya that he became the face of the aggressive Hindutva ideology.
The present BJP government had on January 22 inaugurated the Ram temple built at Ajodhya after the Supreme Court in 2019 ruled in favour of the temple committee in the Babari-Masjid Ram Janmabhoomi dispute case. The Court while delivering the verdict had said that the demolition was in violation of the law.
“I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” PM Modi tweeted about the decision.
