Nod for Owaisi rally withdrawn

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Now the order, signed by the Allahabad Additional City Magistrate on Monday, which has been accessed by The Indian Express, says the permission was granted to AIMIM for the rally based on an application by AIMIM’s Allahabad convenor Gulzar Qureshi and following a report by Station Officer of Muthiganj police station. But on Monday, the order says, the Muthiganj SO submitted another report calling for the cancellation.

The report, as per the ACM’s order, says: “SO Muthiganj informed that a rally is proposed in Mohibulla Bahadurganj where AIMIM national president Asaduddin Owaisi will be present and where Maharashtra MLA Waris Yusuf Pathan is also expected to be present… there is opposition among the local public (to the rally). High School/Intermediate examinations are underway and the rally ground is in a densely populated area, which is not an appropriate (place) for a rally. The local population and guardians of students are opposed to the rally… based on the report, the permission granted by this office on March 4 is thus cancelled.”

“The manner in which the permission was first granted and then withdrawn is a clear sign that Samajwadi Party is scared of AIMIM entering UP,” said AIMIM’s state convenor Shaukat Ali.

Owaisi had been denied permission for a rally or a programme in UP on at least four occasions last year.