M A I N   N E W S

MIM legislator Owaisi held for hate speech
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, January 8
The firebrand Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator, Akbaruddin Owaisi, was today arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police for his alleged “hate speech”.

MIM legeslator Akbaruddin Owaisi leaves the Gandhi Hospital after medical tests in Hyderabad on Tuesday. — AFP

The arrest came after a high drama when the 42-year-old MLA was taken to a government hospital here for medical examination. After the doctors’ team declared him fit for police interrogation, he was taken into custody. The controversial politician was then taken straight to Nirmal in Adilabad district, about 200 km from here, where a case was registered against him for making inflammatory speech, targeting Hindu community.

Owaisi, who is the younger brother of MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, was supposed to appear before the Nirmal police yesterday but had sought four days time, citing ill-health.

A team of doctors had examined him at his Banjara Hills residence.

Later, amidst tight security, he was taken to Osmania General Hospital today where tests were conducted to ascertain his health condition.

The security has been beefed up across the twin cities, particularly in the sensitive areas of the Old City where the MIM holds sway. The MIM has seven members in the Assembly, all of them representing the constituencies in the old city.

He had returned to the city yesterday from London where he reportedly underwent treatment for intestinal injuries sustained in an attack by his rivals over a land dispute here in April 2011.

Following court directions, three separate cases have been booked against Owaisi, who is the MIM floor leader in the State Assembly, under IPC Sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

‘political conspiracy’
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that his brother’s arrest was part of a “political conspiracy” by the ruling Congress and the BJP. “We will fight it out legally,” he said.