Bengaluru: The Bengaluru city police has denied permission for a gathering where the chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi was expected to deliver a speech.
After making a foray into Maharashtra politics, the Hyderabad-based Majlis Ittehadul Muslimin (MIM) party, led by Member of Parliament, Asaduddin Owaisi intends to enter the Karnataka political arena. Owaisi was supposed to visit the city and address a public meeting in Shivajinagar on February 8, the same day the Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP) is planning to organise the ‘Hindu Viraat Samavesha’.
Anticipating communal tension, as a result of both events being held on the same day, the Bengaluru police are in no mood to give MIM permission for the meeting.
“A low-level police officer, of the rank of assistant sub-inspector at the Commercial Street Police Station, without applying his mind and anticipating consequences, issued an endorsement for the MIM local unit’s application seeking permission to hold the public meet in Shivajinagar on February 8. On discovering this, high-ranking officers stepped in and cancelled the permission, asking MIM to select another date for the event,” a senior police officer said. By doing so, we have averted a big showdown and communal flare-up, he added.
An inquiry has been ordered to find out how an ASI-rank policeman endorsed an event without consulting higher-ups, sources said.
Despite this, if the organisers hold any programme, we will take action against them as per the law, another police officer said.
According to sources, the police are likely to permit the event on Tuesday if organisers submit an undertaking that they will restrict the schedule to agreed programmes and avoid the visit of controversial VHP leader, Praveen Togadia.
“The VHP programme and Owaisi’s visit on the same day will not do any good for the city’s peaceful atmosphere. Owaisi’s speech may ignite trouble or counter forces may take advantage of it and provoke a communal situation. We do not want to trouble,” a police official said.
Speaking to Nasheman an AIMIM official informed that the party has approached the Karnataka High Court, and would then decide on our course of action.
Incidentally, the Pune city police has denied permission for a similar gathering.
