AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly reacted to the attack on the mosque as well as nearby Muslim houses, terming it a ‘terrorist attack’.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, July 15, Asaduddin Owaisi blamed the police for acting as a mute spectator and doing nothing to stop the violence in Kolhapur.
Around 50-60 houses belonging to the minority community were attacked by a Hindutva mob on Sunday, July 16, following the vandalism of a mosque in Maharashtra’s Gajapur village in Kolhapur district.
The incident happened on Sunday, the same day when the mosque was vandalized by the same protestors. Chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram‘, a group of people attacked the mosque in Gajapur village during the ‘Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati Remove Encroachment campaign’.
“They attacked the mosque. Burned pages of holy books. They targeted Muslim houses and looted their valuables and money. What kind of governance is being run by the (Eknath) Shinde-BJP government?” Asaduddin Owaisi questioned.
“We want to become a Vishvaguru but demolish the mosque. This is a deliberate targeting of Muslims and our religious places,” he added.
Keeping in mind the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, which are due this year, Asaduddin Owaisi appealed to the people of Kolhapur to vote for the AIMIM.
Led by Maratha royal and former MP Chatrapati Sambhajiraje, thousands of Hindutva protestors looted houses and torched vehicles. Residents fled to a nearby jungle. It should be noted that Chatrapati Sambhajiraje is the son of the sitting Congress MP of Kolhapur Shahu Shahaji Chhatrapati.
Images of broken glass pieces and arson can be seen in a video that has gone viral on social media platforms.
