President of the All India Majlise Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and member of parliament from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday wanted to know from the government on what ground the DRDO terminated the contract of Aijaz Ahmed Mirza when the NIA could not find any evidence against him.
The Hyderabad MP also wondered continuation of salaries and perks to Col Prohit who is in jail for his alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.
“Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, a DRDO scientist, was released today. He was released because NIA did not find any evidence against him. For what reasons was his contract terminated by DRDO?”, Owaisi said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday while participating in the debate over the President’s speech.
“He had two years of contract. As a community, we don’t have scientists. He was wrongly implicated, he was released by NIA. I want to know from the government what sort of secularism its practicing,” he said.
DRDO scientist Aijaz Ahmed Mirza was arrested on terror charges but released on bail as the National Investigation Agency did not file a charge sheet against him.
Exposing the double standard of the government, he raised the issue of regular salary being paid to terror accused Col. Purohit who has been charge sheeted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
“Col. Purhoit is lodged in jail in Maharashtra. The same MOD is giving him his pay and salary for the last four years. This was revealed not by me, it was revealed by an RTI information filed by Purohit’s co-accused Major Ramesh Upadhyay,” said Owaisi.
In his 9-minute speech in the Lok Sabha, Asaduddin Owaisi also blasted the claims of Congress-led UPA government regarding welfare of minorities post-Sachar report.
Earlier, in a letter written to Defence Minister A K Antony and Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar, Press Council of India Chief Justice Katju had said if there was no evidence against Mirza, he should be reinstated and given adequate compensation, besides an open apology by central and state governments.
“I would request you to look into this matter immediately, and if it is true that there is no evidence against Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, he should be reinstated forthwith on the post he was holding before he was sacked, otherwise a wrong message will be sent throughout the country that Muslims are terrorists and are fair game for being persecuted and victimised by the communal forces,” the PCI Chief said in his letter.