Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has rejected the Z category protection, which was offered to him a day after bullets were fired at his convoy.
The bullets were shot on Thursday on his convoy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut where he was campaigning for upcoming elections.
He refused Z security while making a speech in Lok Sabha today in Parliament. He stated, “I’m a free man, I don’t want any Z security, rather I want the culprits who opened fire on me to be charged with The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPA).”
Post the incident the central government has reviewed the security of the AIMIM chief and provided him with Z security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with immediate effect.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s speech in Lok Sabha
He questioned on the floor of the Lok Sabha, asking why the radical people are not charged with UAPA. “People who give speeches or if someone supports any other cricket team, are charged with UAPA, so why not such radical people, I leave the question to the ruling government,” he stated.
Owaisi further referred to India as ‘Mohabbat ki Bharat’ (Lovable India). If this is a lovable country, then you don’t have to fire gunshots on me to shun my voice.
When the speaker of the house Om Birla indicated to Owaisi to end his speech he replied, “I have seen bullets shot at my convoy from six feet distance, please let me speak, I don’t know if I will I be able to see another day in my life. If you don’t let me speak, then where shall I speak, please allow me to speak,” Owaisi requested.
The member of parliament from Hyderabad categorically said, “I don’t want any Z category security, I’m into politics since 1994, and I have lived my life very freely and I shall continue, I don’t want to live suffocatingly.”
Owaisi said he believes if poor, innocent, and other underprivileged people get security then he too will feel secure.
The speaker of the house replied stating “we are worried for you, that is why we are providing you security.” To this, the AIMIM chief answered, “If the country’s poor is safe and secure then I’m secure, Owaisi’s life is not more important than Akhlaq Khan and Pelu Khan.”
For the unversed, Mohammed Akhlaq Khan was brutally lynched and murdered in the name of cow vigilantism in 2015. Similarly, Pehlu Khan was lynched to death for allegedly smuggling cows in April 2017.
Why attackers shot at Asaduddin Owaisi’s convoy?
The attackers who opened fire on the Hyderabad MP’s convoy told the Uttar Pradesh Police that they resorted to this step after being hurt by the AIMIM chief’s anti-Hindu remarks.
Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested two attackers identified as Sachin and Shubham. A quick perusal of social media shows Sachin’s affiliation to the BJP. While the details are yet to be verified, Sachin has put up a copy of his membership slip, in which he calls himself ‘Deshbhakt Sachin Hindu’ to proudly showcase his BJP association and further there are photos of Pandit with various leaders of the party as well.
The leaders in question include UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, and MP Mahesh Sharma.
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