All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi took a dig at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government saying that the current dispensation has learnt nothing from the election results. His remark came as he raised concerns over the future of Muslims, tribals, and Dalits who are held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
"The UAPA law is in the news again today. This is an extremely ruthless law due to which thousands of Muslim, Dalit and tribal youth were imprisoned and their lives were ruined," said the Hyderabad MP in a post on X.
He also claimed that the stringent law became the reason for Stan Swamy's death. The 85-year-old tribal activist died in judicial custody in 2021 after he was arrested under UAPA in 2018 in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence case.
Owaisi said he objected to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha and blamed Congress for enacting the UAPA law.
"This law was made even more stringent by the Congress government in 2008 and 2012, I had opposed it even then. In 2019, when the BJP again brought more stringent provisions and exemptions, the Congress supported the BJP. I had opposed this law even then," said the AIMIM chief.
"We hoped from Modi 3.0 that he would learn something from the election results but they poured cold water on our expectations. This series of atrocities and excesses will continue," he added.
Owaisi's comment also comes in the wake of Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena approving the prosecution of famed author Arundhati Roy and former Professor of international law at the Central University of Kashmir, Sheikh Showkat Hussain, in a case relating to their alleged provocative speeches at a public function in 2010.