Yakub Memon grave ‘beautification’ irks BJP; Mumbai police order probe

PTI, Sep 8, 2022, 5:08 PM IST

A major political row broke out in Maharashtra after the grave of 1993 serial blasts convict Yakub Memon — who was hanged to death — was found to have been beautified. The grave is located in the Bada Kabrastan opposite Mumbai’s Marine Lines station. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, has ordered a probe.

Yakub Memon is the brother of Tiger Memon, who along with notorious underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, hatched the conspiracy to bomb Mumbai.

Yakub (53) was hanged to death on July 30, 2015 in the Central Prison in Nagpur after his plea for clemency and requests to the Supreme Court were rejected.

The BJP has slammed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government saying that an explanation is needed as to how it did not come to the government’s notice.

“Fadnavis has ordered a probe into what has happened and responsibilities would be fixed whether there was lapse on part of State Intelligence Department or Mumbai Police or any other person or agency,” Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said. “How the issue skipped the notice of then Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) and Home Minister is also a matter of concern,” he said.

The earthen grave has 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’. However, hours after the news came to light, the Mumbai Police removed the LED lights put around the grave.

“Thackeray was the (then) Chief Minister 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,” said BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam.

However, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande pointed out that when Memon was hanged, the BJP government was in power in the Centre and state, with Fadnavis being the Chief Minister as well as Home Minister.

State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said that during the Congress-led UPA tenure, two dreaded terrorists — Afzal Guru and Mohammed Ajmal Kasab — were hanged but their bodies were secretly disposed off to prevent their graves from becoming a rallying point in the future. While Guru was executed in Tihar Jail of New Delhi, Kasab was hanged in Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.