Days after shots were fired on the vehicle of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday urged the Lok Sabha MP to accept the Z category security cover provided to him by the central government.
Shah told Parliament, “The threat to Owaisi has been reassessed and a bulletproof vehicle and Z category security has been given to him. But, as per verbal information by himself, he has refused to accept it. I request him to accept the security given to him by the central government.” “Home Ministry took a report from the State government immediately. On basis of earlier inputs from central security agencies, the Centre had ordered to provide him security. But due to his unwillingness to avail security, Delhi and Telangana Police’s efforts to provide him security did not succeed,” Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha.
Informing the House further about the investigation into the attack on All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, the Union Home Minister said, “Taking quick action two accused were arrested. Two unauthorized pistols and a car were recovered from them. The forensic team is doing a minute investigation of the car and the incident site. Evidence is being collected.”
Shah said that the district administration had no prior information of Owasi’s visit to Hapur as he did not have a prescheduled event.
“Two unidentified people had fired on the carcade. He came out safe but there were three bullet marks on the lower portion of his vehicle. The incident was witnessed by three witnesses. An FIR has been registered. Owaisi had no prescheduled event in Hapur district. No information about his movement was sent to District Control Room beforehand. After the incident, he reached Delhi safely,” said the Union Home Minister.
Notably, two men have been arrested allegedly for firing at the convoy of Asaduddin Owaisi when he was leaving Meerut’s Kithoudh area for Delhi after poll campaigning on Thursday, informed Uttar Pradesh Police.
The AIMIM president was in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut for campaigning.
Following the attack, the central government reviewed the security of the AIMIM chief and provided him with Z security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with immediate effect, said sources on Friday.