HYDERABAD: MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has been banned from entering Bengaluru for a week. The move comes ahead of his proposed public meeting in Bengaluru on Feb 21.
The unfazed MP, who was served the notice in person here by DCP (east zone), Bengaluru Police, offered him a bouquet. The notice, issued by Bengaluru Police Commissioner MN Reddi, prohibits Asad from entering the police commissionerate limits of Bengaluru and participating/speaking at any public meeting/function directly or indirectly in Bengaluru for a period of seven days from Feb 19-25.
The MIM had originally planned to hold the meeting on Feb 8 but had to reschedule it to Feb 21 after the police withdrew the permission that was initially granted. The party had challenged the same in the Karnataka High Court but the cops told the court they would allow the MIM to hold the meeting if it applied for the same to the DCP (east zone) in the city. Accordingly, the MIM approached the DCP seeking permission to hold the meet on Feb 21.
Responding to the notice, Asad said he would challenge it in court since it sought to interfere with the right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution. He said he would continue to criticise Prime Minister Modi and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and termed the notice completely biased. “The notice has pained me... as an Indian who can speak in Parliament but not in Bengaluru,” he said.
Defending the move, Bengaluru police commissioner Reddi said, “In spite of the strong resentment against his provocative speeches, Owaisi continues to make such speeches, hurting religious sentiments of other communities.”