Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday “appealed” to Lok Sabha member and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to accept the security cover provided by the Centre after he was attacked on his way back to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh last week.
Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the February 3 incident, Mr. Shah said the government had decided to extend security cover to Mr. Owaisi based on threat perception. After a review of threat perception, the government had decided to provide him ‘Z’ category security in the whole country with a bulletproof car in Delhi. The Home Minister said Mr. Owaisi had refused to accept the security and urged him to accept the same to address “our worries”.
Firing on convoy
Mr. Shah said Mr. Owaisi was returning to Delhi after a public meeting at Kithor, Meerut when two persons fired upon his convoy at 5.20 p.m. at the Chhijarasi toll plaza in Hapur district. The AIMIM chief escaped unhurt, however three bullet marks were visible on the lower part of his car. The incident was seen by three witnesses. The police lodged an FIR and arrested two persons. Two pistols and one car were recovered from the two, the Minister said. The two accused were being interrogated by the Uttar Pradesh police.
“Mr. Owaisi did not have any pre-scheduled programme in Hapur district, and neither did the District Control Room have any prior information about his movement,” Mr. Shah said.
He said the Union Home Ministry had got a report from the State government immediately. Mr. Shah said the Centre had ordered security cover for Mr. Owaisi based on threat assessments on several occasions in the past.
“However, repeated endeavours of the Delhi police and the Telangana police to provide security cover to Mr. Owaisi did not succeed on account of his unwillingness to take the same,” Mr. Shah said.
