The police have denied permission to the public rally of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi, saying that his speeches are inflammatory and communal in nature and have also cited a threat to his life. Party office bearers have called the reasons completely baseless and misleading and have said that they will raise the issue with senior police officials in the city. On the backdrop of the upcoming civic elections, the AIMIM had planned a rally of Owaisi in Panel 19, from Kashewadi to Nehru Road, on February 14, between 7 pm and 10 pm. The party representatives had made an application in this regard at the one-window system of the Bhavani Peth zonal office on February 10. The application was further forwarded to Khadak police station for clearance. Watch What Else Is Making News In a reply to the Bhavani Peth zonal office, senior inspector of the Khadak police station has said, “The location of the rally is in a sensitive area. People from various communities live here. The speeches of Asaduddin Owaisi in the past had been inflammatory and communally-sensitive in nature. Also, there is threat to his life. Due to these law and order reasons, permission for the rally can not be granted." Anjum Inamdar, state core committee member of the AIMIM, said, “The reasons cited in the letter are completely baseless and misleading. Asadauddin Owaisi is holding as many as 60 rallies in the state in the 25 days before the polls. Nowhere has the permission been denied. Our another leader, Akbaruddun Owaisi, had held a rally in the city on February 1. This latest decision of the Pune Police clearly shows their bias and it is obvious that they are acting under some pressure. We are determined towards successful organisation of the rally. We will be meeting Chief Election Officer Satish Kulkarni and Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla soon over the issue."
