Owaisi slams CM Uddhav, asks if Sec 144 would be imposed in Mumbai on Rahul Gandhi's visit

After AIMIM was once again denied permission to campaign for the Maharashtra civic polls, supremo Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray if the same would have been the case had there been a Congress leader. Amid the COVID variant-Omicron scare, Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed within Mumbai commissionerate limits, and rallies and protest marches involving people and vehicles were banned over the next two days, including the campaign of AIMIM. 

"They imposed 144 on my arrival in the name of omicron. Tell how much genome sequencing happened in Maharashtra? Not even 1% genome sequencing happened in entire India," Owaisi said. This was not the first time that AIMIM's campaign was denied permission. The party had earlier scheduled a campaign on November 27, and the same was also cancelled. 

Churning it into a communal issue, Owaisi asked Uddhav Thackeray, "How long will you betray the Muslims? How long will you be in the name of secularism and reservation? I thought after the demolition of Babri Masjid when the bloodbath happened in Mumbai I thought your eyes will open but it didn't."

Maha Vikas Aghadi govt attacks Owaisi 

Speaking to the media, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik said that there was no election in Maharashtra and AIMIM was just wasting its time, and instead concentrating on Uttar Pradesh. "Section 144 is implemented here, he should follow COVID protocols & rules," Nawab Malik said, adding that Owaisi should take permission, and they were not stopping anyone from speaking. Sanjay Raut, leader of Shiv Sena, accused Owaisi of creating unrest in Mumbai, and said, "Let anyone come, if you play with the law of Mumbai and Maharashtra, then the government is capable of dealing with it."

Congress, however, kept mum on the whole issue. It is pertinent to mention here that Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena are part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

Maharashtra civic polls, which are scheduled to be held later this year and early next year, will see the 'three-corporator-per-Prabhag' system be implemented in each civic body, other than Mumbai. Earlier this month, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari issued an ordinance amending the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act in view of the COVID crisis in municipal corporation areas. Under the new amendment, each prabhag or panel in all civic bodies in Maharashtra barring Mumbai will now elect three corporators. However, the “one ward, one corporator” system will continue to be implemented in Mumbai.

Image: ANI