"If the time was 10:01 pm, you have right to stop us": Owaisi defends his brother's remarks against poll official
Nov 22, 2023
Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 22 : Defending remarks of his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi who threatened a police inspector and asked him to leave the spot during a campaign event, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that the official should not have intervened as "five minutes" were left for the campaign time to be over for the day.
Answering queries during a press conference, Asaduddin Owaisi said the campaign by candidates is allowed till 10 pm.
"If the time was 10:01 pm, you have all the right to stop us. When five minutes were left why did he come to the podium? The law permits and you tell us to stop it five minutes before? One could react if it's 10:01 pm. What's this behaviour? One could say a lot in five minutes. For a speaker, opening and concluding remarks are important," he said.
Asaduddin Owaisi asked if action would be taken against the concerned official.
He said the Election Commission should probe the matter. "I have a copy of the permission," he said.
Akbaruddin Owaisi on Tuesday threatened a police inspector who was asking him to follow the Model Code of Conduct in place for the assembly polls in the state.
Akbaruddin threatened the policeman after he was asked to stop his speech.
The AIMIM leader, who was addressing a campaign in Hyderabad's Lalitabagh, asked the policeman to "leave" the venue, implying that if he made a "signal" to his supporters, the inspector would be forced to "run" from the place."
"Do you think that after facing knives and bullets, I got weak, still there's lots of courage in me. Five minutes are left and I'll address five minutes, no one can stop me. If I give a signal then you'll have to run, shall we make him run? This is what I'm saying they come like this to weaken us," Akbaruddin said.
Akbaruddin is in the fray from the Chandrayangutta constituency.
The seat has been a stronghold of the AIMIM, with the party winning it in 2014 and 2018. Telangana will go to polls in a single phase on November 30.
The counting of votes for Telangana, along with those of four other poll-bound states, will take place on December 3.
The state is witnessing a largely triangular contest between the ruling BRS, Congress and BJP.
