A day after attack, MHA accords Z category security to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi

Owaisi, whose party is contesting 100 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, had a close call Thursday when shots were fired at a vehicle he was travelling in while returning to Delhi from Meerut. The state police subsequently arrested two people in connection with the incident and have also recovered the arms used for the attack.

Owaisi has been a vociferous critic of the government and has consistently alleged that it pursues anti-minority policies.

Notably, in September last year, Owaisi’s official residence in New Delhi’s high-security Ashoka Road area was vandalised by a group of Hindu Sena men who damaged the door and windows, broke the nameplate, hurled an axe at the house and called the Parliamentarian a “jihadi”. Five people were arrested then by the Delhi police.

According to Owaisi, the attack on Thursday punctured a tyre and he had to switch vehicles. He had also said he would meet the Lok Sabha Speaker and write to the Election Commission of India.

According to police, four shots were fired at the vehicle. There was no injury to any person in the incident which took place around 5.30 pm at Chhajarsi toll plaza near Pilkhuwa in Hapur district.

Sachin Sharma, a resident of Badalpur in Gautam Buddh Nagar, was arrested from the spot and police said an unlicensed pistol had been recovered. A white Alto car, too, has been seized. Sharma’s alleged accomplice, identified as Shubham of Saharanpur, had fled from the spot but was arrested later.
Officials said Sharma, who was still being questioned, told police that he was angry with Owaisi over his speeches.

As reported by the Indian Express, Sharma’s Facebook account shows him posing for photographs with BJP functionaries. He had even shared a video of Yati Narsinghanand, arrested recently for his hate speech in Haridwar. In one of his posts, Sharma had expressed solidarity with Ram Bhakt Gopal who opened fire at anti-CAA protesters in Delhi in 2020.

Prashant Kumar, ADG (Law and Order), said on Thursday: “Police took swift action after it was informed that the MP’s convoy had been fired upon. Video footage of the area was scanned and suspects were taken into custody. The accused Sachin was identified and arrested. A pistol was also recovered. From the videos, it is clear that Sachin is involved in the incident.”

Owaisi on Thursday uploaded a photograph of the vehicle on social media — two holes created by bullets were visible.

He told reporters: “We were on our way to Delhi from Kithore (Assembly constituency). When we reached the Pilkhuwa toll gate… we were in four vehicles… we slowed down near the toll (plaza) since there are barricades there… there was a loud sound. Then there was another sound. My friend who was driving the car said we were being attacked. He raced the car ahead… It was quick thinking… then there was another sound.”

“So, I think three-four rounds were fired. There are two holes on the left side of the car and one mark on the left mud guard…a tyre got punctured. There is a flyover ahead. We stopped the car there and I shifted to another vehicle. I think they were following us,” he said.

“A Fortuner vehicle was behind my car in which our ex-mayor Majid was travelling… the driver of that car rammed it into one of the shooters. He was wearing a red hoodie… and he fell down. A person who was wearing a white jacket then fired at the Fortuner,” the AIMIM chief added.