After Santosh Nagar police booked a case against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Chandrayangutta legislator maintained that the public meeting was organised only after obtaining valid permissions and that he was well within the time limit as prescribed by the authorities.
Mr. Owaisi told the media on Wednesday, “The police are lying. I have videos, I have the footage. He [inspector] climbed the steps, and got onto the stage.”
Explaining that there was still time left, he added, “Do we not know the rules and regulations of how much time we have? The time was till 10 p.m. If the speech went on after 10 p.m., then they have the right to book a case against me as per law.”
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Owaisi alleged that the inspector pushed the public aside. “There were a lot of people there [at the public meeting]. He pushed these people aside, and disturbed the public meeting. Pushing them, he climbed onto the stage. Is this act right? Does this behaviour behove law enforcement authorities?”
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At a separate event, AIMIM president and Akbaruddin Owaisi’s elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi too, questioned the police, and said that the party would demand that the Election Commission of India conduct an inquiry into the officer’s behaviour.
Criticising the policeman for climbing onto the stage before the 10 p.m. deadline, he said, “It was the RO [Returning Officer] who gave permission [for the public meeting]. But you [police] insisted that we finish [the public meeting] five minutes before the deadline. What are we to do then? A man is giving a speech, and you [police] say “stop it”, “time is up”, what is this? Will you not take action against him?”
Earlier, Santosh Nagar police, based on a complaint by its Inspector P. Shiva Chandra, booked a case against Mr. Owaisi under Sections 353, 506, 153 (A), 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 125 of the Representation of People’s Act.
Video clips of Mr. Owaisi were widely shared online in which he purportedly and harshly stated that there were five minutes till the deadline and nobody could stop him from speaking.
