The issue of beautification of the grave of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convicted terrorist Yakub Memon is getting traction among Maharashtra’s political parties. The BJP claims it is a disgrace that the grave of Yakub Memon, a Dawood Ibrahim aide convicted in the Mumbai bombings, was decorated like a mazar and that the government allowed it.
In a press conference, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar wondered whether the ‘Penguin’ army had become the guardian army of the terrorist’s grave. Amidst the war of words between BJP, Congress, and Shiv Sena, then Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar is news as her old pictures with Yakub Memon’s kin Rauf Memon have gone viral on social media.
According to Ashish Shelar, the Thackeray government was pro-Dawood Ibrahim at the time. Nawab Malik retained his position as a minister. Now, Uddhav Thackeray’s side has emerged as a Dawood Ibrahim supporter. BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule questioned, “when the tomb of terrorist Yakub Memon was being adorned, where the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow and mace went.”
Uddhav Thackeray compromised with Hindutva to retain the chair: BJP
According to the state president, Uddhav Thackeray made a deal with Hindutva to keep the chair. BJP MLA Ram Kadam has also asked how the grave became a tomb while Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister. According to Ram Kadam, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar should repent while assuming responsibility for beautifying the terrorist’s tomb. BJP MLA Nitesh Rane also questioned the Thackeray government, claiming that cemetery beautifying would be permitted in 2021. How can Uddhav Thackeray’s BMC deny this?
BMC elections are near, this is a gimmick to spread misunderstanding on the pretext of Yakub Memon – Shiv Sena
In response, previous BMC mayor Kishori Pednekar stated that neither the BMC nor the state government contributed anything to the grave’s adornment. Yakub’s burial is unrelated to the Shiv Sena, BMC, or Mahavikas Aghadi administration. As the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections approach, Shelar and BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is causing confusion among the city’s residents. The Hindus of Mumbai supported Uddhav Thackeray and would continue to support him, she added.
Former Mumbai mayor denies knowing Yakum Memon’s family when confronted by a TimesNow anchor on a TV debate
‘I do not know Yakub Memon’s relatives. I was a mayor & went there at the request of people. I was not aware that any relative of Memon was present there’, Kishori Pednekar, Former Mumbai Mayor said.
The video of Kishori Pednekar with terrorist Yakub Memon’s kin Rauf Memon are making rounds on social media. However, Pednekar dismissed the questions saying that as a mayor when people invited her, then she had to go. Sh clarified that she does not have any relations with the kin of Yakub and she was unaware that the relatives of Yakub are going to be present at that time. She added that she had gone to meet some citizen representatives when there was a water logging issue at the masjid. She asserted that she was there as a mayor and she had not interacted personally with Memon’s relatives.
She also stated that she was not aware of the beautification work done at the terrorist’s grave.
Mumbai Police took action and removed LED lighting from the grave
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police has taken action as soon as it was informed that Yakub Memon’s grave was decorated with tiles and LED lights in the big graveyard in the Marine Lines area of Mumbai. Whereas the officials of the administration associated with the tomb say that no decoration of the tomb was done. Whatever the family members do on their behalf, we do not interrupt them for what they used to do. The administration related to the grave does not interfere in this nor has any kind of help been given.