The flying squad of the Dumri assembly by-poll has filed a first information report (FIR) against AIMIM candidate Muzaffar Hassan Numani and some unknown people for violating the Model Code of Conduct and disturbing communal harmony, officials said on Thursday.
The move comes in response to an alleged video of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s supporters shouting “Pakistan zindabad” during his rally on Wednesday, which went viral on social media.
Police said an FIR has also been filed against the rally organiser, Abdul Mobin Rizvi.
Giridih deputy commissioner and district election officer (DEO) Naman Priyesh Lakra confirmed the action, saying that it was taken based on information from the video surveillance team (VST) constituted in the wake of the bypoll scheduled for September 5 this year.
Six candidates, including JMM’s Baby Devi and AJSU’s Yashoda Devi are in the running.
AIMIM candidate Numani expressed concern over the FIR, claiming it was registered at the behest of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
“When our national president’s rally was held in broad daylight and attended by hundreds of media persons, ordinary people, police officials, special branch personnel, and numerous police personnel, if the slogan was shouted, why wasn’t action taken on the spot? Why wasn’t it immediately reported by any electronic media channel as breaking news? This is a significant conspiracy hatched five hours after the rally concluded. We have asked the district’s superintendent of police to thoroughly investigate the matter and take action against the responsible person. JMM does not want Muslims to contest elections in places where Mahtos are in the running,” Numani said.
{{/usCountry}}“When our national president’s rally was held in broad daylight and attended by hundreds of media persons, ordinary people, police officials, special branch personnel, and numerous police personnel, if the slogan was shouted, why wasn’t action taken on the spot? Why wasn’t it immediately reported by any electronic media channel as breaking news? This is a significant conspiracy hatched five hours after the rally concluded. We have asked the district’s superintendent of police to thoroughly investigate the matter and take action against the responsible person. JMM does not want Muslims to contest elections in places where Mahtos are in the running,” Numani said.
{{/usCountry}}However, JMM general secretary and state coordination committee member Vinod Pandey dismissed Numani’s allegations, asserting that his party does not engage in low-level politics.
“JMM believes in democracy and is not involved in mean-minded politics,” he said.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Owaisi addressed a poll rally in Dumri on Wednesday afternoon to support his party’s candidate Numani. During his speech, his supporters allegedly began chanting slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad.”
On Wednesday evening, Dumri SDM Sahjad Parvej acknowledged the video and said that the video clip was being authenticated. “If found to be true, legal action would be taken,” he said.
On Thursday, the Giridih district administration issued a notification stating that during the AIMIM rally on Wednesday, slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad” were raised from the public stand while Asaduddin Owaisi was speaking.
The flying squad, in its complaint to the Dumri police station, deemed this a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and a disturbance of communal harmony.