Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju stirs yet another controversy on Tuesday slamming MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi for his incapability to get former constable Abdul Qadeer a pardon.
Katju demanded that Owaisi should stage a dharna at the residence of Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Qadeer is at present serving a life sentence at the Cherlapalli jail for the murder of Sattaiah, an assistant commissioner of police, during the communal riots in the city in the early 90s. He is a diabetic and had amputated his leg in 2012.
Justice Katju took to social media sites Twitter and Facebook, and accused Owaisi of insincerity. “You sending letters to the CM and making speeches demanding pardon is only a drama,” Katju wrote.
Restating Qadeer’s deteriorating health, Katju used Article 161 of the Constitution, which gives the State Governor the powers of forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation of the relevant penalty to a convict in certain cases, as grounds to seek the former cop’s pardon.
“If you do not immediately sit on dharna in front of the residence of the chief minister of Telangana, KCR, demanding grant of pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution (not just temporary parole) to Abdul Qadeer, who has been in jail for about 25 years, and whose one leg has been amputated, I will brand you as a fraud, who only talks big, but in reality cares two hoots for Muslims.”
The former Chairman, Press Council of India made a similar statement on his blog and stated that he had emailed Owaisi and was waiting for a reply.
The statement comes days after Justice Katju filed a petition on a popular website seeking his release.
“Abdul Qadeer was a 29-year-old man when the incident occurred. He is now an old man, and due to his ailments he looks older than his age. His leg has been amputated. If released he will not pose a danger to anyone,” he wrote.