All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi raised his objection against the Bharat Ratna conferred on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Padma Vibhushan given to BJP patriarch LK Advani. While speaking at a seminar titled ‘Ayodhya controversy - Ramjanmabhoomi - fiction or reality’ in Hyderabad, Owaisi spoke about the two BJP leaders’ alleged role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6th, 1992. He has made references to the speeches made by Vajpayee a day before the demolition and to the cases filed against Advani regarding the mosque’s demolition.

"Have we forgotten December 5 (1992)? The same Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said 'we are going to level the ground' (has been now given the Bharat Ratna)," he said. "The same L K Advani who spread destruction in the country with his 'Rathyatra'. This could probably be the first instance of Padma Vibhushan being given to a person who is facing criminal cases," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen leader said.

“That’s why those people will question the awarding people who have contributed and given sacrifices for the country, because it does not suit them, and the people who suit them are the ones who are against the country,” he said.

BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Dwivedi said that an effort to make a “communal direction” by people like Owaisi on the basis of baseless and misleading issues does not come as a surprise to the party. “I would only say that people who are dreaming to expand their political career in India on the basis of communal hatred can only be expected of things like these,” he said.
Vajpayee, founding member of BJP who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, was conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee. Vajpayee has been credited with taking bold initiatives, notable among them being the historic bus journey to Lahore in 1999 when he signed the landmark Lahore Declaration with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with both sides pledging to push for peace and security.

Vajpayee is regarded as one of the most charismatic leaders, he was lauded as a statesman politician whose acceptability across the board broke barriers and brought BJP to centre stage of politics.

Owaisi known for his hate speeches to ignite communal tension aiming at Muslim concentration for him and his family’s political gains now talking about peace and secularism is just like prostitute talking about morality. Owaisi’s utterances aiming at the dalits of the Hindu community is just like the fox trying to drink the blood of the fighting sheeps. He is trying to divide the Hindu community to take advantage of the weaknesses of the Dalits for his selfish political gains for him and his family.

By Premji