A controversy broke out over the alleged 'beautification' of the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon's grave, which had been 'revamped' with marble boundary and LED lighting. The Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced an inquiry into the alleged beautification saying that a committee will be formed to probe the matter and investigation will be initiated soon.
After the uproar, the police removed the decorative LED lighting around Yakub Menon’s grave early Thursday morning. The deputy commissioner of police started a probe into the game’s facelift. The police will seek further information from the police Waqf Board, BMC and Charity Commissioner.
A team of police visited the grave on Wednesday night while the BMC team also visited the site. Sources have told the Free Press Journal that the alleged beautification was done on March 18, when the Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power.
Notably, Yakub Memon was convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts over his financial involvement in the act. He was hanged at Nagpur central jail on July 30, 2015. Yakub's brother Tiger Memon is one of the prime accused in the terrorist act.
The alleged beautification of Yakub Memon’s grave led to a war of words between BJP and opposition parties NCP, Congress and Thackeray led Shiv Sena.
The chairman of Juma Masjid accepted that the grave had been decorated but also noted that no special permission was given for Yakub's grave to do so. The Bada Kabrastan site, where Yakub Memon is buried in Mumbai, comes under the jurisdiction of the Burial Waqf Board. The BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal clarified that ‘’Bada Kabrastan does not come under our jurisdiction. So we cannot take any action or conduct an investigation into it. It is the site of a private Muslim trust. There are many other cemeteries in Mumbai which come under our jurisdiction. If there was a graveyard in the BMC’s jurisdiction, we would have inspected it in detail. ‘’
BJP claimed that the alleged beautification was done during the Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi government comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.
"Why was Uddhav Thackery silent when Yakub Memon’s grave was converted into a shrine?" asked a BJP MLA. Ram Kadam. ‘’Grave of terrorist Yakub Memon who executed 1993 Bombay bombings at Pakistan's behest, converted into a Mazar when Uddhav Thackeray was CM. Is this his love for Mumbai, patriotism? Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi & Uddhav Thackeray should apologise to the people of Mumbai,’’he said.
Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar taunted that Penguin Sena (referring to Uddhav Thackeray led faction) should now launch the save grave campaign and alleged that ‘’When in power we have seen Shiv Sena as the Dawood (Ibrahim) supporter but now in the opposition it has become the campaigner of Dawood.’’
However, leader of opposition Ajit Pawar (NCP) hit back saying that BJP has no other issues except targeting the opposition. They cannot talk about inflation, unemployment. The farmers are in distress due to loss because of heavy rains and floods and they are committing suicides every day. It does not help to make the farmers strong. And this is a strategy to divert people's attention. There is no reason to give importance to this matter”.
When asked about the alleged beautification done during the MVA government, he replied, ‘’Let it be anybody's government, if you (referring to the reporter who asked him the question) were the chief minister, it should not have happened during your time." He added that had the beautification really happened during the MVA government it would have brought to its notice.
On the other hand, Yuva Sena chief and former minister Aaditya Thackeray targeted BJP saying that the bodies of terrorists are not handed over to their families as per the stipulated rules. ‘’Why the then BJP government (led by Devendra Fadnavis) had given the body of Yakub Memon to the family. How the then BJP government gave permission for Yakub Memon's funeral and cremation?’’he asked while responding to BJP’s attack.
‘’BMC has nothing to do with Yakub Memon's grave. BJP is trying to blame others for its own mistakes. The place belongs to a private trust. BJP was in government when Yakub Memon was buried. At that time, security arrangements were made for the burial ceremony of the terrorist,’’said Aaditya. ‘’Why was Yakub Memon not treated like a terrorist like Kasab (who was involved in Mumbai terror attack)?’’he asked and reiterated that why the then BJP government handed over Yakub Memon’s body to the family. Aaditya claimed it may have been done by the then BJP government with an eye on polls.
The state Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe put the ball in the BJP’s court and claimed that BJP should tender an apology of the people of India for enabling the release of Azar Masood with three other dreaded terrorists (who were involved in the highjacking of IA plane) who were later attacked Mumbai. ‘’BJP allowed ISI to investigate Pathankot airbase for attacks engineered by it only. It is clear that BJP is responsible for creating religious divide which helps it politically. BJP cannot escape from the party led government’s decision to hand over Yakub Memon’s body to the family for burial. Therefore, in this case also it is BJP’s plan to communalise the issue ahead of BMC elections.’’ He questioned BJP targeting the opposition on this issue days after union home minister Amit Shah’s Mumbai visit.
