Hyderabad: Akbaruddin Owaisi, the floor leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) will now have to face legal action for his alleged hate speech. A Hyderabad court yesterday ordered the city police to book a case against the MLA for his provocative speech against a particular community.
Consequently Osmania University Police station in Hyderabad and Adilabad police booked similar criminal cases against Akbaruddin Owaisi yesterday.
The orders were passed by the 4th additional chief metropolitan magistrate on a petition filed by a businessman S. Venkatesh Goud. The judge directed the Osmania University Police station to investigate the case under section 156 (3) of CrPC.
S. Venkatesh Goud had filed a petition in the court seeking legal action against Owaisi alleging that the MLA had made a highly provocative speech hurting the religious sentiments of a majority community. Directing that the allegations and the speech recorded on a CD should be thoroughly investigated the court asked the police to submit its report before January 28.
This is the second such case filed against Owaisi in Hyderabad courts while another complaint was booked in New Delhi.
The first petition was filed before another court by a BJP leader K. Karunasagar and social activist Shabnam Hashmi had lodged a complaint against Owaisi with Delhi police under section 153 A.
Owiais had allegedly made the hate speech in a public meeting at Nirmal town of Adilabad district on December 24.
Even as Owaisi came under attack from the BJP and other quarters, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the law would take its own course against the MIM legislator. Talking to newsmen, Reddy said it was the responsibility of the police to take action in accordance with the law and the government had no role.
Meanwhile, Congress member of Rajya Sabha P. Govardhan Reddy also demanded action against Akbaruddin Owaisi. Describing Akbaruddin a traitor, Govardhan Reddy said that any attempt to create communal hatred and enmity should not be tolerated. “Those responsible for such acts should be arrested”, he said.
Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu also demanded that a case of war against the state should be booked against him. Naidu alleged that Akbaruddin had criticized the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, terrorist involved in Mumbai attack.
Meanwhile in what appears to be a tit for tat reaction, a petition has been filed in a Hyderabad court demanding action against the international president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Pravin Togadia for his alleged provocative statement and threats.
Ghulam Rabbani, an advocate filed a petition in the 7th additional metropolitan magistrate’s court alleging that Togadia during his visit to Hyderabad on December 12 had threatened to turn Hyderabad in to another Ayodhya if Hindus were prevented from offering worship at Bhagyalakshmi temple adjacent to Charminar.
Majlis president and member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi has said that his party will legally fight the cases booked against his brother and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi. “We respect the orders of the court”, he said when asked to comment on booking of cases against Akbaruddin.
Akbaruddin was not available for the comment as he was away on a visit to London.
Meanwhile director general of police V. Dinesh Reddy has said that if need be the state police will seek the help of Interpol for the arrest of Akbaruddin Owaisi. He said the state police have booked two cases against Akbaruddin Owaisi under section 121 and 153 A.
“He made the speech in Urdu and we are getting it translated to file charge sheet in the court”, he said. Dinesh Reddy told the reporters that when police went to serve summons on him, it learnt that Akbaruddin was abroad.
