AIMIM's Owaisi attacks PM Modi, asks him to 'focus on Kanpur' and not Afghanistan's Kabul

As the Government of India ramps up efforts to evacuate its citizens from war-ravaged Afghanistan, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, asking him to focus on Kanpur, where a Muslim man was brutally thrashed in public and allegedly forced to chant 'Jai Shree Ram.'

"Do not focus on Kabul, focus on Kanpur, where a nine-year-old was begging for mercy on his father as he was being thrashed by a mob in the presence of police. Why don't you talk about what incident in Kanpur? You have affection for the children of Kabul, but not Kanpur? Is this patriotism?" asked Owaisi while addressing supporters on Friday evening. 

The Hyderabad MP said the BJP cares about the women stranded in Kabul but shows no concern about the little girl of Kanpur. "Even if Muslims are beaten to death in India, you will only talk about the bullet being fired in Taliban," he added. 

Following the Taliban siege, the Central government has been carrying out a massive rescue operation for all Indians stranded in Kabul amid mounting violence and chaos. 

In Friday's address, Asaduddin Owaisi was referring to the Kanpur assault case where an e-rickshaw driver was thrashed by three men in public and forced to parade while chanting "Jai Shri Ram", police said last Friday. 

Kanpur assault case

In video footage of the incident in Kacchi Basti locality in the Barra area of Kanpur, 45-year-old Asrar Ahmad was visibly parading on streets after coercion and assault. Ahmed's daughter was seen clinging to him and pleading with the accused to spare her father. The alleged culprits went to thrash the Muslim driver even after being handed over to cops. As the personnel escorted him, he was heckled by another man in the lane.

Aghast at the shocking attack on a Muslim cab driver by a mob in Kanpur, UP Minorities Commission on Friday took cognizance of the matter, summoning the Kanpur police and demanding a report on the incident in 3 days. Amounting to assault, the three people affiliated to the Vishva Hindu Parishad in Uttar Pradesh were booked and later released on bail less than 24 hours after their arrest. 

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