Maharashtra: Owaisi Issued Another Notice Over ‘Inflammatory’ Speech

AIMIM Chief Accused of Trying to Provoke Communal Disharmony

Notice Issued After Owaisi’s Speech in Aurangabad

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been issued a second notice by the Aurangabad Police for his alleged inflammatory speech delivered in the city on February 13. Owaisi has been accused of trying to provoke communal disharmony through his speech. The police have registered a case against Owaisi under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code. In his speech, Owaisi had reportedly criticized the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and had alleged that the current government was targeting Muslims. He had also allegedly made some remarks that could be construed as provocative and communal. The police have issued a notice to Owaisi asking him to appear before them on March 2 to record his statement. Owaisi has been asked to explain his speech and to provide evidence to support his claims. The notice has been issued after the police received several complaints against Owaisi’s speech. The complaints allege that Owaisi’s speech was inflammatory and provocative, and that it could lead to communal disharmony. The police are investigating the matter and are trying to ascertain whether Owaisi’s speech violated any laws. The police are also taking steps to prevent any communal disharmony in the city. Owaisi has not yet commented on the notice issued by the police. However, he has previously defended his speech, saying that he was only speaking out against the government’s policies. The CAA and the NRC have been controversial since their inception. The CAA provides citizenship to illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians. The NRC is a register of all Indian citizens. Critics of the CAA and the NRC say that the laws are discriminatory and that they target Muslims. The government has defended the laws, saying that they are necessary to protect the country from illegal immigration. The CAA and the NRC have sparked protests across the country. The protests have been largely peaceful, but there have been some instances of violence. The government has urged people to maintain peace and not to allow anyone to provoke communal disharmony.