Asaduddin Owaisi, whose party is trying to aggressively build its following among the sizeable Muslim community of UP, has been denied permission to hold rally on April 26 in Allahabad.
According to Allahabad district magistrate Bhavnath Singh, “We have rejected AIMIM’s request due to two reasons. They had sought permission for two locations but both of them are on the road leading to the railway station. A large number of vehicles and people take that road and I can’t allow the traffic to be disrupted. The guidelines for holding rallies clearly say that the road should not be blocked.”
He furthered: “Secondly, both the proposed locations have a mixed population comprising Hindus and Muslims. In the past, he (Owaisi) has given inflammatory speeches. Considering the possibility of breach of peace, we can’t give permission for the rally.”
The party had been granted permission for a rally in Allahabad on March 15, but has been withdrawn by the local administration citing “board examinations” and “opposition by the local public”, as reasons.
AIMIM was earlier denied permission to hold rallies n a number of places across the state in the recent past–on February 1, April 25 and June 12, 2014 in Azamgarh, on September 7, 2014 and March, 2015 in Allahabad and on March 29 in Agra.
AIMIM state convenor Shaukat Ali said the SP government is apprehensive about its vote bank. “Our MP can speak in the Parliament but not in a public rally? If his past comments have been so ‘inflammatory’, then why did EC allow AIMIM to hold rallies ahead of the recent Maharashtra by-polls?” he said.
The city convener of MIM, Afsar Mahmood alleged that the administration is working on the instructions of Samajwadi Party.