Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi is in trouble for the alleged “hate speeches” he delivered at Nizamabad and at Nirmal in Adilabad district against the majority community on December 8 and 22 respectively.
The police registered cases under IPC Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war against the State) and Section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) both non-bailable offences. The cases were filed after the Congress government faced widespread criticism for soft-pedalling on the issue.
Away in London
Mr. Owaisi, according to Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy, would be arrested if the charges against him were confirmed in the investigation. He said notices would be served with immediate effect on Mr. Owaisi, who is presently in London for medical treatment.
The police have decided to wait for Mr. Owaisi’s return and were hopeful that he would come back. “But we will requisition the services of the Interpol if there is an iota of doubt that he is purposefully trying to avoid police investigation,” Mr. Dinesh Reddy told reporters here.
The DGP said there was a prima facie case against the MLA, but the police had to investigate further, including questioning Mr. Owaisi. Denying that there was delay in registering cases against Mr. Owaisi, Mr. Reddy said lower rung officials, who were providing security at the public meetings, could not understand the import of his comments.
