NEW DELHI: Days after shots were fired at a vehicle in which Asaduddin Owaisi was traveling in, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha on Monday that the AIMIM MP should accept the Z category security which was offered to him. Shah said that the government has received verbal intimation about Owaisi’s rejection of the offer.
Reading out a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said, “The MHA has received a report from the state government. In the past also, based on threat assessment by the central agencies, the Centre had issued directions to provide security to Owaisi. But due to his reluctance, the Delhi Police and Telangana Police have not been able to provide security to him. The threat to him has been assessed and based on that, it has been decided to grant Z category security to him with a bulletproof car in Delhi. But, as per communication from him received verbally, he has refused to accept it. I request him to accept the security given to him by the Centre,” Shah said.
He also added that the authorities of the Hapur district, where the incident took place on February 3, had no prior information about Owaisi’s movement through the area.
“Owaisi had no pre-scheduled event in Hapur district, nor was any information about his movement shared with the District Control Room beforehand,” Shah said.
Shah said the incident happened when Owaisi’s convoy was crossing the Chhijarsi toll plaza near Pilkhuwa in Hapur district around 5.20 pm. At the time, Owaisi was returning to Delhi after attending a public outreach event at Meerut. Shah said the UP Police, taking quick action, have arrested two accused and seized two unauthorised pistols and an Alto car.
Forensic teams are carrying out a detailed examination of the car, the lower portion of which had three bullet marks, and the site where the incident took place, Shah said. He added that an investigation is underway based on an FIR lodged under IPC Section 307 and Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
