Riot victim appeals to Congress not to overkill his picture

Qutbuddin Ansari, whose iconic appeal to the Rapid Action Force to save him and his family in the post-Godhra riots in Ahmedabad, is being subjected to overkill by the Congress. Qutbuddin's iconic picture has been used by various political parties to cash in on during the elections to project the BJP as a bugaboo despite the massive mandate it got from the Indians in the 2014 General Elections. The Congress, which does not think twice about playing the communal card, has projected the Qutbuddin picture again in Assam to create fear among the minority voters. Having got wind of Congress machinations and also those of interested parties, Qutbuddin has appealed to all parties not to use his picture, making his life miserable in his house. Every time they see the picture, Qutbuddin's children would ask him, even 10 years after the incident, `Papa who were you appealing to in that picture?' He found it difficult to answer their question every time. Besides, it reminded him of the dark happenings of the Godhra train burning and the subsequent riots in Ahmedabad. Qutbuddin appealed to political parties not to use his picture anymore and subject him to unnecessary misery. `Please do not use my picture,' he told the parties. `The happenings of that day are still moving before my eyes. I died on that day itself.' He wanted to live in peace and so he did not want the photo to be used by political parties.