Meerut: Former Uttar Pradesh minister and BSP leader Haji Yakub Qureshi on Thursday courted controversy when he announced a reward of Rs 51 crore to the killers of the Paris journalists.
Qureshi sought to defend the terror attack on French satiricial magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying whoever shows disrespect to Prophet Mohammad will invite death. Hours later, he denied making any such comments and also denied reports in which he was stated to have said that he will reward the attackers with Rs 51 crore.
“I have not made any such announcement regarding the attack in Paris,” he claimed.In 2006, Qureshi had stoked a huge controversy when he declared a reward of Rs 51 crore for anyone who would kill the Danish cartoonist who had created a controversial cartoon of Prophet Mohammed. He had made the offer at a public rally in Meerut. (PTI)