In a strange decision Thursday the Bombay High Court while upholding a police order barring Asauddin Owaisi from speaking at a function in Thane asked My Mumbra Foundation to drop the name of the noted parliamentarian from the list of speakers.
A division bench of Justices N H Patil and V L Achiliya rejected a petition filed by Abdul Rauf Khan, member of ‘My Mumbra Foundation’ which is organising the programme on February 8, asking the court to direct police to allow Owaisi to address the event.
According to the news agency PTI, the bench, while dismissing the petition, added that the NGO can submit a fresh application to the police seeking permission to hold the function after dropping Owaisi.
The court’s observation came after Advocate General Darius Khambata, representing the government, argued that police were willing to grant permission to the function if the NGO agrees to remove Owaisi’s name from the speakers’ list.
“Why are you as an NGO deviating from your original cause and fighting for one person? The NGO can still hold the function,” the court said.
Thane Police Commissioner KP Raghuwanshi in the notice issued to Asaduddin Owaisi, who was recently awarded the best Sansad Award for 2014, said that his speech may create a law and order problem in the area hence he should not enter in the Thane district jurisdiction till February 10.
The High Court said it was not in the position to judge whether the programme will cause a law and order problem.
“That is the job of the administration. Even they (police) cannot say for sure that there will be a situation. You never know when a peaceful mob can go violent. All these issues are the administration’s lookout. We cannot interfere,” Justice Patil said.
The court also noted that Owaisi can challenge the order passed by the police banning his entry in a separate petition.
In a similar manner, Asaduddin Owaisi was earlier this month denied permission to address a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh. Before that Maharashtra police had stopped him from holding rallies in Aurangabad, Malegaon and Dhule.
All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had created a political storm in October 2012 by winning about a dozen seats in Nanded municipal elections, snatching most of them from Congress.
Ever since then AIMIM is trying hard to expand its base in other parts of Maharashtra.
However, the Cong-NCP led government in Maharashtra is in no mood to give the high profile leader, known for his fiery speeches in and outside the parliament, a free run in the state.
Though there are varied opinions on the logic of the Maharashtra government to ban in such a manner the rallies of a parliamentarian, Asaduddin Owais himself feels that the move is further strengthening his position among the Muslims
- See more at: http://www.ummid.com/
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