HYDERABAD: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has blamed the Congress for amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), saying the changes led to prolonged incarceration of undertrials, including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. His remarks followed the Supreme Court’s recent refusal to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the alleged ‘larger conspiracy’ case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.
Addressing a gathering in Dhule in Maharashtra, Owaisi recalled his earlier warnings in Parliament and said amendments made during the UPA regime expanded the definition of terrorism, resulting in denial of bail and extended detention of undertrial prisoners.Referring to Supreme Court observations, Owaisi said the law permits custody of up to 180 days without filing a chargesheet. He alleged that these stringent provisions are often misused against minorities and said he had opposed the amendments in the Lok Sabha. He also questioned why Congress leaders have not faced similar incarceration and said his warnings about the misuse of the law had now come true. The Hyderabad MP said amendments introduced during the Congress-led UPA govt were responsible for prolonged detentions, citing changes made to the UAPA when P Chidambaram was Union home minister.Owaisi, who has been addressing public meetings as part of his party’s campaign for municipal elections in Maharashtra, on Friday told a gathering in Solapur ahead of the Jan 15 civic polls that a hijab-clad woman would one day become India’s prime minister. He said the Constitution guarantees equal status to all communities, unlike Pakistan, which he claimed restricts top constitutional posts to a single community. His remarks drew a sharp reaction from the ruling BJP.
