'It's a display of love': NC leader Mustafa Kamal on Yakub Memom's grave 'beautification' row

The Mumbai Police on Thursday yanked off the lighting arrangements in Bada Qabrastan amid the 'beautification' row on Yakub Memom's grave.

Pic Credit: File Photo

New Delhi: Amid the controversy over the 'beautification' of terrorist Yakub Memon, NC leader Mustafa Kamal said that the act is a display of love. In an interview with ANI, Kamal said, "It neither weakens religion nor is it wrong. He died. Those who were pained will give themselves to this grave..."

A political row has now erupted over the purported `beautification` of Memon's grave at the Bada Qabrastan in south Mumbai.

#WATCH | On controversy over 'beautification' of 1993 Mumbai bombings convict Yakub Memon's grave in Mumbai, NC leader Mustafa Kamal says, "It's a display of love. It neither weakens religion nor is it wrong. He died. Those who were pained will give themselves to this grave..." pic.twitter.com/WX5VQoV9Ra

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2022

Memon, 53, a CA, was found guilty and convicted for his role on March 12, 1993, Mumbai blasts, and hanged in Nagpur Central Jail on July 30, 2015, after all his pleas for pardon/clemency up to the President were rejected.

An earthen grave, the burial site in Mumbai recently got a face-lift with a marble grave coming up there, amid lighting and apprehensions that the terrorist`s final resting place would soon become a `mazar` (mausoluem).

While the Mumbai Police on Thursday yanked off the lighting arrangements in Bada Qabrastan, a grave political dogfight erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena for allegedly allowing the revamp there.

Blaming its bete-noire, BJP Spokesperson Ram Kadam questioned why the ex-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray kept silent when Memon`s grave was being converted into a shrine.

"Thackeray was the (then) CM and during his period the grave was turned into a shrine. This is their patriotism and love for Mumbai. Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of Mumbai," Kadam demanded.

Hitting back Sena Spokesperson Manisha Kayande dismissed the BJP`s allegations and said when Memon was hanged, the BJP government was in power both at the Centre and state - here Devendra Fadnavis was the CM and also home minister.

"Why did he allow Memon`s body to be handed over to his family? What prevented the BJP government at the Centre and State to formulate a policy on how to deal with the mortal remains of terror convicts or other dreaded criminals," Kayande asked.

(With agency inputs)