Hours after the Union government decided to provide ‘Z’ category VIP security cover to Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi following an attack on his convoy a day ago, the leader on Friday rejected the offer, saying he wanted to be an “A category citizen” who can live with freedom.
Referring to the hate speeches made recently during religious events at Haridwar, Raipur and Prayagraj, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief asked the ministry of home affairs to create a special cell to tackle radicalisation.
“Who are these people who believe in bullets and not the ballot? Who have so much hate? If this is the kind of politics we are going to see, of bullets being strewn at a tollbooth, we can see the kind of radicalisation,” Owaisi said in Parliament, while appealing to the government to “end the hatred”.
“I am not afraid of dying but I want to appeal to the government to see what was said (in Haridwar and Prayagraj). I don’t want Z security, I want to live with freedom and not a stifled life but I want to be an A category citizen,” he added.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing budget session of Parliament, Owaisi asked why the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) was not invoked against those who shot at him.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing budget session of Parliament, Owaisi asked why the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) was not invoked against those who shot at him.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Uttar Pradesh police, two people fired at Owaisi’s vehicle at Hapur in western Uttar Pradesh when he was returning to Delhi after campaigning for the upcoming state assembly elections.
The two accused, Sachin, a resident of Badalpur in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Shubham, a native of Nakur in Saharanpur, were arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody, police said, adding that as per their investigation, the two accused followed Owaisi from Meerut before attacking his vehicle.
The AIMIM leader said that when there was a lapse in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security in Punjab last month, he was among the few leaders from the opposition to condemn the incident.
People familiar with the developments said Union home minister Amit Shah will give a statement on the matter in Parliament on Monday.
Earlier on Friday, the MHA decided to accord Owaisi ‘Z’ category security cover of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), upon receiving a threat perception report from the intelligence agencies.
As part of ‘Z’ category cover, Owaisi would have been guarded by 35-40 commandoes on rotational basis in three shifts besides getting escort and pilot vehicles in his convoy.
The CRPF, the country’s largest paramilitary force, secures more than 50 VIPs, including Amit Shah, transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Businessman Mukesh Ambani also has CRPF security cover, but he pays for it.