HYDERABAD: Hitting out at the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s comments advocating ‘de-radicalisation camps’ for children, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has questioned who would deradicalise attackers of Muslims and Dalits. Speaking at a public meeting at Adilabad on Thursday night, the Hyderabad MP said de-radicalisation is needed for those who lynch and kill Dalits and Muslims. “I want to inform the chief of defence staff, General saab, if you want to deradicalise, then listen, you first read the Juvenile Act. IPC is not applicable to children. What kind of de-radicalisation you are talking about,” he said. “General saab says that they will bring new law to deradicalise children. Meerut SP says in Muslim localities that they (Muslims) eat here and sing songs in favour of Pakistan. He says go to Pakistan. Who will de-radicalise such SPs. Dalits and Muslims are being lynched. Who will de-radicalise those attackers?” the AIMIM chief said. Rawat on Thursday in an address at the Raisina Dialogue, said de-radicalisation camps are operating in the country as it was necessary to isolate people who are completely radicalised. The MIM supremo alleged that names of five lakh Bengali Hindus and an equal number of Muslims are missing in Assam and the Hindus will be given citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), leaving out the Muslims. He said the names of some family members of former president of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed were also missing in Assam and questioned who would deradicalise those responsible for the blunder. In a series of tweets, Owaisi said this is not the first time that Rawat uttered comments undermining the civil administration. “This is not the first ridiculous statement he has made. Policy is decided by civilian administration not by any General. By speaking on policy/politics, he is undermining civilian supremacy,” he tweeted. “Who’ll deradicalise lynchers & their political masters? What about those opposing citizenship for Assam’s Bengali Muslims? Maybe deradicalise “Badla” Yogi & “Pakistan jao” Meerut SP? Maybe deradicalise those imposing hardship on us through NPRNRC?” the MIM leader said in another tweet. Chief of Indian Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat admitted that the Indian army use pellet guns against stone-pelters in the Kashmir Valley where the forces have suffered casualties caused by stones. “There are young people who are pelting stones which are as lethal as pellet guns. We have had severe casualties (in the forces), including death being caused because of stones. We cannot say that the security forces start using stones against stone pelters,” said Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat. The CDS also said the security personnel aim for the legs of stone-pelters who get hit on the face as they bend to pick up stones, and the forces cannot be blamed for it. “Pellet guns are supposed to be a non-lethal weapon system. It is supposed to be fired below the leg. But I will show you the positions of the pelters, some are standing while others are picking up stones from the ground. In that phase when they are picking up stones, the security personnel is not aiming for the face, he is aiming for the leg, but it hits the face while he (pelter) is picking up the stone,” Rawat said.–Agencies
