New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday requested Lok Sabha MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi to accept the bullet proof vehicle and Z-category pan-India security cover provided by the central government in view of the threat assessment on him by security agencies.
Giving a statement in Rajya Sabha on the 3 February incident in which gunshots were fired at Owaisi’s vehicle at Hapur, in western Uttar Pradesh, when he was returning to Delhi from Meerut after campaigning for the assembly elections, Shah said that based on the threat assessment, the home ministry has approved enhanced security cover for Owaisi, but the Hyderabad MP has not accepted it till now.
“According to the government’s assessment, Owaisi still faces security threats. I request him through the House to accept the security cover,” Shah said.
Gunshots were fired at AIMIM chief Owaisi’s vehicle on February 3 at the Chhajarsi toll plaza in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi from Meerut. Owaisi had tweeted about the incident shortly after it happened.
कुछ देर पहले छिजारसी टोल गेट पर मेरी गाड़ी पर गोलियाँ चलाई गयी। 4 राउंड फ़ायर हुए। 3-4 लोग थे, सब के सब भाग गए और हथियार वहीं छोड़ गए। मेरी गाड़ी पंक्चर हो गयी, लेकिन मैं दूसरी गाड़ी में बैठ कर वहाँ से निकल गया। हम सब महफ़ूज़ हैं। अलहमदु’लिलाह। pic.twitter.com/Q55qJbYRih
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 3, 2022
The incident, coming just ahead of the UP elections, had taken a political turn with the Union home ministry approving Z-category security to Owaisi and the AIMIM leader rejecting the offer, saying he would instead prefer to be treated like an “A-category” citizen.
Owaisi’s party, the AIMIM, is set to contest on around 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The party has so far announced candidates in 66 constituencies with high Muslim populations.
Also read: Opposition is silent on gunshots at Owaisi. They’re wrong to think it will trigger Hindus
Why efforts to provide security failed
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said Owaisi had no pre-scheduled event in Hapur district. “No information about his movement was sent to the District Control Room beforehand,” he said.
The police took quick action in the case, he said, and arrested two persons. “Two unauthorised pistols and an Alto car were recovered from them. Forensic team is doing a minute investigation of the car and the incident site and more evidence is being collected,” Shah informed the Rajya Sabha.
The Union home minister further said though Owaisi reached Delhi safely after the incident, the lower part of his vehicle was damaged. “The law and order situation is under control and the police are carrying out further investigation in the matter,” Shah added.
Shah informed the Upper House that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had sought and received a report from the state government immediately after the incident.
“On the basis of earlier inputs from central security agencies, the Centre had ordered security to be provided to him. But due to his unwillingness to avail security (before the attack), Delhi and Telangana Police’s efforts to provide him security did not succeed,” Shah told the Rajya Sabha.
Shah said according to the government’s assessment, Owaisi still faces security threats.
(Edited by Saikat Niyogi)
Also read: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s car ‘fired upon’ during campaign trip in UP, 1 detained