Hyderabad, April 30: The floor leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and three term MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was shot at by his rivals in the old city of Hyderabad on Saturday morning.
The attack took place when Akbaruddin was participating in padayatra at Barkas areas in his con stituency Chandrayanagutta in old city. Police said that a group of four persons came horses and fired from pistols at the MLA and his supporters. Besides Akbaruddin , another MIM MLA Ahmad Balala and a MIM corporator were injured in the attack.
The followers of Akbaruddin hit back and one person was killed. Akbaruddin and others were rushed to the family-run Owaisi Hospital at Santoshnagar, where he is being operated upon. His condition is said to be critical. A large number of MIM workers who reached the hospital on hearing the news heckled the city Police Commissioner A K Khan for failure to anticipate the attack and provide security.
As news of the attack spread, the old city shut down with shops, businesses closing down fearing trouble. MIM, which is an ally of ruling Congress party, has 8 MLAs and is the final arbiter in matters relating to old city.Of late a splinter group called MBT(Majlis Bachao Tehrik) has been trying to gain control in pockets of the old city by harping on peoples grievances, with backing from political parties like TDP, CPI and CPM.
The police imposed prohibitory order under section 144 and banned congregation of people. Large contingents of police were rushed to the old city from neighbouring districts and round the clock patrolling have been taken up.
Police said the attack could be due to dispute over control of a burial ground in the area, valuied at few crores.
-Agencies