The hate speech of Akbar Owaisi of the MIM party at Adilabad has generated a lot of controversy but there is yet to be any severe action taken against him. In fact, his one-time ally Abid R Khan, General Secretary, APCC almost ended up defending his action calling it an aberration.
There is however ample instances of Owaisi giving incendiary speeches on several ocassions, including a fatwa to behead Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.
Speaking to CNN-IBN, Abid R Khan said, “We have already started the preliminary investigation that went on for the last 10 days and then if he is found guilty then the law will take its course.” It is however, extremely difficult to believe that the investigation took so much time when the video of the hate speech was circulating in YouTube in the matter of an hour.
When asked if the party was hesitating in raising their voice against the issue, he said, “They were a post-election alliance with the UPA. They have done a lot of secular work including electing a Dalit mayor in Hyderabad.”
Akbaruddin Owaisi delivering the controversial hate speech in Adilabad. YouTube Screengrab.
However, given the timing of the speech (with impending General election in 2014) was the speech communal or political?
Sandhya Jain, columnist with The Pioneer feels it is certainly political. She said, “The timing of the speech is very political as Narendra Modi has just won an election.” According to her, the speech becomes really communal in the country where the ground situation should be communal.
She said, “The ground situation allows the situation to become volatile.” Such speeches also largely encash the insecurity of the minority community and that makes it difficult for parties to act against them as they fear risking their election prospects.”They are treated with kid gloves because they are seen as political vote banks,” she added.
