Hyderabad: All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday condemned the lynching of a software professional Mohd Azam from Hyderabad in the neighbouring Karnataka early this month. He said the loss of an innocent life due to rumours fuelled via social media must be condemned in the strongest possible manner.
“In the run up to the general elections next year, there seems to be a sinister design to use social media to poison our collective conscience as a society. The plot to use this medium to largely target the members of minorities and other marginalised groups needs to be exposed and fought against,” Mr Gandhi said in a letter addressed to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.
Mr Gandhi asked the TPCC to step up efforts to fight against such incidents in Telangana and extend support to organisations and individuals working towards creating public awareness against such social media rumours.
On Wednesday, several TPCC leaders visited the family of slain Mohd Azam at Errakunta near Chandrayangutta and expressed their condolences. The party also handed over a cheque for Rs 2.5 lakh to the family as financial assistance and assured to sponsor the education of his 18-month-old son.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, MLC Mohammed Ali Shabbir, former home minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, former Union minister Balram Naik, senior Congress leader V and Hanumantha Rao were among the leaders who visited the family.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy later demanded that the government set up a fast-track court to prosecute the culprits of such mob violence.
