MiM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Giving Speech in Hyderabad

All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party President & MP Asaduddin Owaisi Giving Speech in Salar e Millat Condolence Meeting in Khilawat Ground in Hyderabad

MiM Ex President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat) Funeral Procession in Hyderabad

Articles on MiM Ex President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat)

Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi Takes Charge as AIMiM Party President

All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party President and Hyderabad MP Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi Speaking to Media after taking Charge as MiM Party President in Darrusalam MiM Headquarters in Hyderabad.

MiM Party Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi addressing Party Workers in MiM Party Headquarters Darrusalam in Hyderabad

Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi Takes Charge as AIMiM Party President

Hyderabad : A week after the death of Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, his elder son Asaduddin Owaisi, a London trained Barrister today formally took charge as the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a Muslim political party in Andhra Pradesh.

40 year old Asad, who represents Hyderabad in Lok Sabha and has served two terms in the state assembly, took the charge as the party president before the gathering of senior party leaders, legislators, and the presidents and secretaries of MIM units in Hyderabad and other districts.

Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, in a meeting with the party legislators including his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, and district unit presidents at Darussalam, the party headquarter

Earlier his election as the successor to "Salar", as the elderly Owaisi was known was confirmed by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Consultative committee) of the party.

Speaking on the occasion an emotional Asaduddin vowed to dedicate his life to strengthen the MIM, carry forward the mission of his father to unite the Muslim community and uplift it educationally and economically.

"No body can fill the vacuum left behind by Salar but we will try to follow in his foot steps. We will start a new era and work to strengthen Majlis", he said.

"Our real tributes to him to strengthen the party, take it to new heights and increase the strength of our party in the assembly", he said. MIM has five members in the state legislative assembly at present and many believe that it will go up to ten after the re-constitution of the constituencies.

Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, today formally took charge as the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) after the death of his father last week addressing on this occassion

"The leadership is a burden and a crown of thorns but with the grace of Allah I will do my best to serve the people. The poorest and the weakest among the people should not feel that there is no body to care for him. We will work for such people as Salar had done", he said.

Asad's younger brother and MIM Floor leader in the state assembly Akbaruddin dismissed the rumors that there were differences among brothers over the issue of party leadership. "The world will see the unity of the two brothers. Earlier on the command of Salar we would have laid down our lives. Now I assure the MIM president that we will lay down our lives on his command. He is not only the party president but he is our Ameer (religious head) and obeying Ameer is a religious duty", he said.

Akbaruddin Owaisi, in an emotion speech on the occassion vowed to work under the leadershipof his elder brother to take forward the work of his father late Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi

Comparing the work of his father in the field of education, including setting up professional institutions, with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan setting up Aligarh Muslim university, Akbar said that Salahuddin Owaisi had brought an educational renaissance in Hyderabad."

There was a time when Muslim students will not get a seat in medical and engineering colleges. Today there are more engineering seats than there are Muslim candidates. He brought such a change", Asad said.He vowed to widen the area of MIM's work to north India to politically unite the Muslim in other states.

RS 3.5 LAKH ASSISTANCE Meanwhile in a related development the MIM today presented a cheque of Rs 3.5 lakh to Abdul Quadeer, the dismissed police constable who is serving life imprisonment for killing an assistant commissioner of police Sattaiah in Hyderabad during the communal riots of December 1990.

A delegation comprising of three MIM legislators Akbaruddin Owaisi, Ahmad Pasha Quadri and Mumtaz Ahmad Khan met Abdul Quadeer at his residence and gave him the cheque for repairing his dilapidated home in old city. Abdul Quadeer is presently visiting the family on Parole.

A MIM delegation comprising of MiM Party Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, Ahmad Pasha Quadri and Mumtaz Ahmad Khan met former police constable Abdul Quadeer and presented him a cheque of Rs 3.5 lakh for the constructon of his house. Abdul Quadeer who continues to serve life imprisonment for killing his senior officer ACP Sattaiah during the riots of December 1990. He is currently visiting his family on parole

As he has spent nearly 18 years in jail since the incident, MIM has made several representations to the government to release him. Abdul Quadeer had defended his act of shooting his senior dead saying he was acting in a biased manner and targeting the Muslim community during the riots giving free hand to the rioters of other community in burning shops and attacking houses. A local court had later convicted him for murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Lakhs bid tearful adieu to MIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat)

Praja Rajyam Party President Actor Chiranjeevi with AIMIM President & MP Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi.

Second Pic Lakhs of People at the Funeral Procession of the Late AIMIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat) in Hyderabad.

Lakhs bid tearful adieu to AIMIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar E Millat) .

Hyderabad: Senior Muslim leader, veteran Parliamentarian and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat) was bid a tearful adieu by lakhs of his supporters on Tuesday when he was laid to rest at the Dargah Agha Dawood in Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy led his cabinet colleagues in paying respect to 76 year old Mr. Owaisi, who expired on Monday after prolonged illness. Dr. Reddy, who cut short his visit to Delhi and returned Hyderabad today to attend the funeral, described Mr. Owaisi's death as a big loss to the state. "He was a very experienced politician and a man of masses who always fought for the welfare of the people", he said.

Politicians cutting across the party lines converged at the Darussalam, the headquarters of MIM to bid farewell to the leader who had dominated the politics of Hyderabad for almost fifty years. The AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily laid the wreath on behalf of the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. He conveyed the condolence message to Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM's MP from Hyderabad and the new president of MIM.

Mufti Khaleel Ahmad, the head of Jamia Nizamia led the Namaz-e-Janaza, attended by more than lakh of mourners. Later he was laid to rest with full state honors.

Body of Salahuddin Owaisi was brought from his residence to MIM headquarters in a massive procession of thousands of supporters who were raising slogans of "Allah-o-Akbar" (God is Great). Owaisi's three sons Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, Akbaruddin Owaisi, MLA, and Burhanuddin Owaisi Chief Editor Etemaad Urdu Daily were among the pall bearers.

Such was the surge of the people to have the last glimpse of "Salar" as Owaisi was popularly known that the police had a very tough time in holding them back. Many old timers and personal acquaintances of Owaisi broke down.

The United State Consul General in Hyderabad Cornelis M Keur and the Iranian Consul General were among the dignitaries who attended the funeral. Earlier in the day the state director general of police SSP Yadav and Hyderabad police commissioner B Prasad Rao laid wreath on the body at Owaisi's residence and paid their respects.

Speaker K R Suresh Reddy, state Congress president D Srinivas, the state Home Minister K Jana Reddy, the secretaries of CPIM and CPI BV Raghavulu and K Narayana, Nava Telangana Praja Party president T Devender Goud, senior leaders of Telugu Desam and K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samiti were among those who attended the funeral. Film star turned politician and Praja Rajyam party president Chiranjeevi visited Owaisi's residence this morning and paid his respects.

"Mr. Owaisi was a powerful and a strong leader who strived to protect the culture and identity of Hyderabad and to solve the problems of Muslim minority. It is very difficult to find another leaders like him", Chiranjeevi said. However the leaders of the state BJP were conspicuous by their absence.Delegations of various Muslim organizations including Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiatul Ulema, Jamiatul Mashaiq also attended the funeral.

The state government had declared a State holiday to the educational institutions and the government offices today as a mark of respect to Owaisi. Salahuddin Owaisi's political career spanning over half a century was extraordinary in the sense that he had started his career as a member of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 1958 and went on to become the member of Parliament. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Hyderabad for five straight terms. He also served as MLA for 23 years representing different constituencies of the city.

AIMIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi ( Salar e Millat) Passes Away

The Late All India Majlis e Ittheadul Muslimeen President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi (Salar e Millat) in a file Photo after winning the election in 1989.

Second Pic the Body of Late AIMIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi kept in Party Headqaurters in Darrusalam for Last Respects in Hyderabad

AIMIM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi ( Salar e Millat) Passes Away Sep 29th, 2008

Hyderabad, Sep 29 (IANS) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) President and former MP Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi ( Salar e Millat) died here Monday night, his family said. He was 76. He was hospitalised about 10 days ago with breathing problems.

Owaisi, who dominated Hyderabad politics for four decades, is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.

He breathed his last around 9 p.m. at his residence in Hyderguda. The end came a few hours after he was shifted from hospital, his son and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said.

His body will be kept at Darussalam, the MIM headquarters, Tuesday morning to enable people to pay their last respects. The burial will take place at the Dargah Hazrat Mohammed Hasan graveyard near the party office.

‘Salar’, as he was popularly known, represented the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency for two decades. He was first elected to parliament in 1984 and re-elected in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Owaisi began his political career in his youth and was first elected to the state legislative assembly in 1962. He continued to be a state legislator till he was elected to parliament.As the news of his death spread, shopkeepers in Hyderabad downed shutters and black flags were flown in mourning. Police beefed up security as a precautionary measure.

MIM has one MP and five state legislators from the cityof Hyderabad, where Muslims are an overwhelming majority.

Mr Owaisi headed the AIMIM since 1975 and was Member of Parliament from Hyderabad for six terms from 1984 to 2004. Now, his eldest son Mr Asaduddin Owaisi represents Hyderabad in Parliament. His second son Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi is the floor leader of the five-member MIM group in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

In the post-Independence era, the MIM was revived in 1958 when Mr Salahuddin Owaisi¢s father and eminent lawyer Moulana Abdul Wahed Owaisi was elected its president. Mr Wahed Owaisi, known as Fakhr-e-Millat, held the post till his death in 1975. Mr Salahuddin Owaisi was elected to succeed him as party chief. He was re-elected for six consecutive terms and held the post till his death.

In March 2004, Mr Salahuddin Owaisi opted out of electoral politics and did not contest the Lok Sabha elections, after being elected to the Parliament from Hyderabad for six consecutive terms during two decades (1984-2004). The party fielded his eldest son and two-term legislator Mr Asaduddin Owaisi from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, who is now serving his maiden term in Parliament.

In his political career spanning 50 years, Mr Salahuddin Owaisi held elective posts for 44 years. He was first elected to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad as a councilor in 1960. As MIM floor leader, he was the leader of the opposition in MCH for two terms (1960-69). He made into the Assembly in the 1962 polls by trouncing the then Congress minister Mrs Masooma Begum from a city constituency. Again, in 1967, he defeated another Congress minister Mir Ahmed Ali Khan by contesting against him. He was elected to the Assembly for five terms between 1962-1984.

A veteran of electoral battles all through his long political career, Mr Salahuddin Owaisi successfully contested elections 13 times and lost only once in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. He has steered the party through turbulent times during the last 33 years. The party has grown from strength to strength under his leadership. The MIM currently has five MLAs, one Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and one MP, besides a number of councilors and corporators in municipalities and municipal corporations in the state.

Thanks to his efforts, the MIM, through the Dar-us-Salam Educational Trust, established an Engineering College, a Medical College, a Degree College, and Colleges for MBA, MCA, Pharmacy and Nursing, and an Industrial Training Institute. The MIM also runs a Cooperative Urban Bank, besides two major hospitals in the city. Besides fighting for the rights of the Muslim minority, the party has been espousing the cause of Urdu language, literature and culture.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party Celebrates its 50th Golden Jubilee Celebrations

All-India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi adressing Party Workers and Media in MiM Party Office Darusalaam in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, March 2 Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in Andhra Pradesh, Sunday celebrated its golden jubilee. Party president Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi addressed a rally at Darussalam, the party headquarters, to mark the day.

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  Mr Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi recalled the party’s struggle in 1950s when Muslims were passing through difficult times after "police action" against the erstwhile state of Hyderabad.He was referring to the operations in 1948 against the forces of Nizam, the ruler of the then Hyderabad state, to merge it with the Indian union.It was March 2, 1958 that MIM was revived with a new constitution.
  
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  Salar-e-Millat, as Owaisi is popularly known among his followers, recalled that his father Moulana Abdul Wahid Owaisi accepted the mantle of leadership when the Muslims were facing a crisis after "losing everything during the police action and nobody dared to speak for the rights of Muslims". "MIM has set an example for the entire India. It not only achieved political power to force the successive governments to address the community’s concerns but also built a number of educational institutions and hospitals," he said.
  
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  "MIM has one-point programme: the Muslims and Backward Classes should unite on a single political platform. People used to ridicule us when we called it All-India MIM. People used to ask where is the office. Today, I can tell them the biggest office for any party in the country is our party headquarters," he said amid thunderous applause by thousands of party workers.
  
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  "We have done what others could not do. The number of Muslims is less in Andhra Pradesh when compared to Uttar Pradesh and other states, but our achievements show that numbers alone do not work and it is the determination which is required," said Owaisi, who represented Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency for almost two decades.


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  MIM Supremo, Mr Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, said his Party was not against the formation of Telangana state but insisted that Hyderabad should be left. He also said Warangal would be ideal to become the State Capital of the proposed smaller state.
  
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  MIM, which has mass support in the City of Hyderabad, has one MP and five members of state assembly from the capital. Mr Owaisi’s eldest son Asaduddin Owaisi is now representing Hyderabad parliamentary constituency while another son, Akabruddin Owaisi, is a legislator from Chandrayangutta assembly constituency and MiM Party Floor Leader in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly.

MiM Party President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi Interview on the Eve of MiM Party 50th Golden Jubilee Celebration

MiM Party President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi Interview on the Eve of MiM Party 50th Golden Jubilee Celebration

An Article On the Brief History of Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party in Andhra Pradesh

An Article on Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party in Etemaad Urdu Daily

MiM Protests Nandigram Massacre in Parliament

Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi Protested over the Barbaric Killings and the bloody recapture of Nandigram by armed CPM goons in Parliament .

Upper Castes Using Telangana for Political interests :MIM

Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen Party Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi Givng Speech

HYDERABAD : Majlis-Ittehadul- Muslimeen (MIM) MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi has charged the influential upper castes with using the Telangana issue as an election affair to further their own political interests.

Speaking to newsmen at Karimnagar on Sunday, he alleged that the weaker sections comprising Backward Classes (BCs), Scheduled Classes Scheduled Tribes and minorities lost their voice in the "selfish politics" being pursued by three dominant upper castes (Velama, Reddy and Kamma) in the State.

The Telangana Praja Samiti merged in the Congress after winning about 10 MP seats on Telangana plank in the 70s, he noted. In an indirect reference to M. Satyanarayana Rao, the MIM MP said, "The present Karimnagar MLA won on the samiti ticket at that time. Of late, he is talking in a different language.".

"The weaker sections have no trust in the leadership of the upper castes. Telangana can be formed only if the weaker sections come into the forefront", he said. The Uttar Pradesh and Bihar experiments should be replicated here to ensure political empowerment of the weaker sections in the real sense, he suggested. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has failed to give even a single ticket to the Muslims in the last Assembly elections, he pointed out.

"The Telugu Desam disturbed the political equilibrium in Telangana by giving tickets to people from other regions in Telangana in the past, Owaisi alleged.

Comparing West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the MIM leader alleged that Buddhadeb justified the heinous atrocities committed by the CPM activists on the hapless Muslim women and the dalits in Nandigram.

MiM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Speech On 12 August 2007 in Chicago,USA Part 2

MiM MP Asaduddin Owaisi :Taslima is a threat to Peace

MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi Speaking to Mediapersons Outside City Court with MiM MLA's who were out on bail after being Arrested over there Protest on blasphemous writer Taslima Nasreen in Hyderabad.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MiM) is in the news for an attack on Taslima Nasreen by three of its MLAs. Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of MiM and MP from Hyderabad who is in Chicago ,USA says that it was not an attack but a protest against Taslima’s actions. Kashif-ul-huda of TwoCircles.net spoke to him about this incident.

TwoCircles.Net: Would you comment on the recent attack on Taslima Nasreen in Hyderabad?

Asad Owaisi: I disagree that it was an attack; it was a public protest against an individual who is not an Indian citizen, and who has been given refugee status in India. She has a habit of ridiculing Islam and making fun of the Prophet of Islam (pbuh). We wanted to lodge a peaceful democratic protest against her. Unfortunately the organizers did not listen to our viewpoint that resulted in the assault of press people who were there, which we regret.

We have a democratic right to protest her and protest her visit. We feel that she is a great threat to the peace of not only Hyderabad but to India as well. Her writing has always created fissures and divisions within the community.

I feel that Indian government should deport her by classifying her persona non grata. Through her writing she is creating division between Hindus and Muslims by exploiting freedom that she has in India. India will be better off if such persons are not allowed to live in India.

TCN: She has been living in India for some time now, what was the need for this protest now?

AO: Once again, I would like to correct you that if you follow my parliamentary speeches, one speech that I gave, two months ago, in the last parliament session. It was on the topic of internal security; in that debate, I demanded that she should be deported and she should follow in the footsteps of Dalai Lama, who has come to India in 1950. He has an animosity towards China but has never used Indian territory to propagate anything against China. He was given Nobel peace prize.

Taslima Nasreen should have followed Dalai Lama, how graciously he lived in India. Taslima is disliked not only by Muslims but also by secular Hindus.
Can you tell me what the importance of Taslima Nasreen is? What is her contribution to literature? She is famous because she is anti-Islam and she ridicules Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).

TCN: Don’t you think that attacks like these put her in the limelight and give her more press coverage?

AO: May be you are right, but we wanted to get our message across to the government of India, we wanted the people to know. Hyderabad has long history of harmony between communities we don’t want this environment to get polluted.

The most important point, which has not got highlighted, is that the organizers are known Hindutva and Sangh Parivar members. They did not even inform the local police. They didn’t inform central agencies that she will be in Hyderabad. We are just fortunate that we came to know when this function was about to end. We decided immediately that we should protest her visit. We wanted the message to go to Indian government and Indian people that this person has no other work apart from nuisance, creating division, provoking Muslims by hurting their religious sentiments. At least now she knows that she can get away with nonsense things that she has said in the past.

TCN: Will you take your protest outside Hyderabad?

AO: We are requesting all right thinking people, all secular minded people that we should be together on this. It is not a question of only Muslims coming out to protest. We want all the people to come out. India is famous for its pluralism. India is famous for having good relations among all the communities.

It is one of the countries of the world where you can find all the religion that are in the world. We want to maintain the pluralism that India has given to the world. So I hope that people should protest against her and government of India understand and respect the wishes of the people and take action against her.

TCN: One of your legislators Muqtada Afasr Khan is reported to have said that if Taslima comes to the city again, she will be killed. What do you say about this?

AO: This is wrongly reported, what he said that if she comes again we will launch a very organized and strong protest against her. If anything happens to her then the responsibility will lie with the state government and the state machinery.

The consequences will be draconian. Words have been attributed to our MLA that he never said, he only mentioned the strong protest that Majlis will organize and if any thing goes wrong consequences will lie with the government. This is what he said, but the local media has twisted and added flavour and attributed something to him that he never said.

TCN: How justified is it for a political party like MiM to take up this issue which is basically religious in nature?

AO: Indian Penal Code 153(a) clearly states that it is an offence to create amongst different religious communities. Indian Constitution gives me this right that to ensure that no animosity takes place between different religious communities. Our launching of protest against Taslima Nasreen is that she has to be stopped in initial stages. If she continues with her divisive writings in the guise of freedom of expression this will lead to more friction among Hindus and Muslims and different communities.

I am for freedom of expression; I am for freedom of press. But every freedom has some limitation; one should not cross those limitations. What we are saying is that, I want the whole world to understand that as far as Muslims are concerned, you can criticize my action, you can criticize my policies, you can criticize my parents and my profession but there is a limit. You can not criticize my Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), that is my identity. You can not criticize him, you can not ridicule him. You can not commit blasphemy against him. Various countries of the world have religious laws that e.g. there are many Christian countries that have laws that say that you can not commit acts of blasphemy against Jesus.

How can you ridicule Prophet Mohammed Pbuh, which is an integral part of our faith. As faras Muslims are concerned, my faith is not complete unless and until I have the utmost respect for my Prophet. This needs to be understood from Muslims’ point of view.
This is not a question of freedom of expression; this is not a question of taking law into our hands. We hope that people understand it from our view point.

TCN: How is your action different than actions that Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena takes against writers and artists?

AO: My party is not a fascist party but they have a record of hurting different minorities and they have been involved in various riots, which has been corroborated by various commissions and fact-finding committees.

If we really wanted to really harm her (Taslima Nasreen), there was no stopping. It’s just that we came to know that she is in Hyderabad. Her whole visit was done in a very surreptitious way. If it was done in an open way, we would have lodged our protest in a more organized way and I am sure this would not have happened.

Courtesy (http://www.indianmuslims.info/)

Case Booked Against MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi

MiM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi with MiM Party MLAs and Workers after there Protest Against blasphemous writer Taslima Nasreen.

HYDERABAD, Aug. 12: The Hyderabad police booked a case of criminal intimidation against Majlis Ittehadul Musilmeen floor leader Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi for threatening to behead the Blasphemous Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.

The 14th additional chief metropolitan magistrate granted the police permission late Saturday night after perusing a petition filed by the police along with video footage containing Mr Owaisi’s remarks. Subsequently, police booked case of Section 506 IPC, which deals with criminal intimidation.

Mr Owaisi's Video footage Speaking to news channels that beamed his statement at the Punjagutta police station are being collected to submit them to the court on Monday as evidence. “If the court is satisfied with the evidence, it will allow us to arrest him and file a chargesheet,” explained ACP Punjagutta L. K. Shinde on Sunday. At the same time, the court may also issue summons to Mr. Owaisi seeking explanation on evidence submitted by the police against him.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Nasrin’s statements had hurt the sentiments of Muslims. The police booked a case against her under Section 153-A (inciting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code on his complaint.

Meanwhile, police have placed orders for Nasreen’s books ~ Lajja and Amar Meyebela ~ to see if there are any blasphemous passages in them. Police sources said this is part of their investigation into Mr Owaisi’s complaint against Nasreen that she has caused enmity between religious groups via her writing.

MiM Party MLAs Protesting Against Blasphemous Writer Taslima Nasreen

MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Gives Press Conference On Mecca Masjid Report

MiM MP Asaduddin Owaisi with Detailed Reports of Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast and Police Firing at a Press Conference in MiM Headquarters in Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD: MiM Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday invited Director-General of Police M. A. Basith to a debate to disprove that the police had fired rubber bullets to control the mob after the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid on May 18.

"I will challenge Mr. Basith or Additional DG (Law and Order) A. K. Mohanty to show at least 10 rubber bullets with the city police. I am ready for a debate to prove that they never shot rubber bullets for the simple reason that they don't have any," he told reporters here.

Owaisi strongly contested the contention in the report that it gave statutory warnings before opening fire and said that the Very High Frequency (VHF) sets that were used at that time should be seized along with its recorded messages.The police did not use batons to disperse the mob nor did it resort to firing in the air before killing people with direct hits, he claimed."It was genocide. Police fired from self loading rifles, which are generally used against Naxalites, to kill innocent youths," he said.

He strongly disputed the DGP's claims that rubber bullets were fired at the mob and added the autopsy report had confirmed that injuries were caused by bullets fired from self-loading rifles.

Owaisi also pointed out that police killed two Muslim youths in encounters a day after the bomb blast at Sai Baba temple in Hyderabad in 2003.

Owaisi demanded immediate suspension of police officers for ‘unprovoked’ firing on protestors after the blast. "Why the government is not suspending guilty officers," he said and warned the Congress government that it would lose the support of Muslim community if it failed to act against such police officers.

Mr. Owaisi termed as "a bunch of contradictions" the two reports submitted to the State Government on the bomb blast and the firing, copies of which were released to the media.He said there were contradictions in the versions of Falaknuma Inspector P. Sudhakar and the DCP on the circumstances that led to the firing. He said the role of Bajrang Dal and other Hindu extremist groups must also be probed.

The MP sought to know why the police had not opened fire on activists of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi when they set on fire RTC buses and a train compartment, besides CPI(M) workers for their land struggle agitation. If terrorists could easily target Mecca Masjid, then Hyderabadis were not safe, he said.

MiM Submits Memorandum to SHRC Over Police Firing

MiM Member of Parliment Asadudin Owaisi Arguing with Police DIG (CID) Sandeep Shandilya over his Attempt to Move Crowds with Force in Hyderabad after Prayers in Mecca Masjid on Friday.

HYDERABAD: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) will hold an inquiry on June 11 into the police firing in the old city after the Mecca Masjid bomb blast on May 18 that reportedly claimed five lives.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (MIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi along with Partymen on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the SHRC Chairman, B. Subhashan Reddy, here on Thursday urging him to take up a full-fledged inquiry into the matter. Mr. Owaisi in his memorandum described police action as `unwarranted' and `unprovoked' adding that the firing was ordered without following due procedures.'There was absolutely no need for police firing. Not a single policeman was injured. There was no loss to property. Unnecessarily five innocent people have lost their lives and four others are injured.

The MIM leader submitted an account outlining the conditions in which five persons were killed while another eight persons were injured in the police firing. "Police opened indiscriminate firing on innocent people who started running towards Shalibanda after coming out of the mosque," he said.

MIM party workers who interacted with the media after meeting the SHRC Chairman pointed out that Self Loading Rifles were used in the firing. "SLRs are only used to combat terrorists or naxalites and not common people," Mr Owaisi said. SHRC Chairman B. Subhashan Reddy informed that they would wait for the report from Commissioner of Police and Hyderabad District Collector before reaching any conclusion. Mr. Reddy informed that the notice was served on the Commissioner of Police seeking explanation for reasons behind the police firing.

MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi Protest inside Mecca Masjid on Police Firing on Protestors

MiM Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi Protesting Against Police Firing

MIM Stages Protest at Andhra Pradesh Police Headquarters

MiM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Speaking to Press Reporters in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a party with a large following in Hyderabad, Sunday staged a protest in front of the Andhra Pradesh police headquarters demanding immediate suspension of the police officials responsible for firing after Friday's bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid.

Led by party leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM activists staged a sit-in in front of the office of Director General of Police (DGP) in Saifabad, throwing traffic out of gear in the heart of the city.

Tension prevailed for some time as the activists, who were carrying black and green flags, tried to barge into the high-security office, abutting the state legislative assembly building. They shouted slogans against police and set afire an effigy DGP M.A. Basith.

The MiM MP demanded that the government immediately order an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the bomb blast and the police firing and suspension of officials for opening fire. The 17th-century Mecca Masjid, near the city's famous landmark of Charminar, was targeted with a powerful blast Friday afternoon. Soon after that, police had fired on a protesting mob to quell violence.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said Saturday that 11 people were killed in the mosque blast, while five died in police firing.On Saturday night, the police chief had clarified that nine people died in the blast and five in firing.

Owaisi, however, said 10 people died in police firing and seven in the blast. Basith had initially denied police firing and claimed that only rubber bullets were fired. During a meeting called by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil here Saturday, the DGP had defended the police action.'We want an immediate CBI inquiry and immediate suspension of guilty officers and if these demands are not met then there is no difference between the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat,' said Owaisi, whose party is an ally of the ruling Congress.

The firing was unprovoked. Some policemen deliberately targeted protesters and shot them in their chests,' alleged the MP.

Akbaruddin Owaisi MiM Floor Leader in the state assembly, and other party leaders also participated in the protest. Hyderabad, which is a city's five million muslim population, is a traditional stronghold of MIM. The party won all the five assembly seats in the old city and the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat in the 2004 elections.