The controversy over the statement to deny voting rights to Muslims in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Samana , reached the local court here on Monday. FIRs have been registered here against Shiv Sena MP and Samna Editor Sanjay Raut and AIMIM president Akbaruddin Owaisis on the issue.
Reports said that Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here on Monday had directed registration of the complaint besides recording the statement under section 202 of Cr PC by April 25. Indian Police Service(IPS) officer, Amitabh Thakur filed a case in the court under the above section against Raut and MIM leader Owaisi.
Thakur contended that the way Raut pleaded for taking away the voting rights of the Muslims in his article “Rokhtok- Mumbai me Owaisi ki Uchalkud:Sawdhan bil me sanpole hain” in Hindi daily Samna on April 12 clearly amounts the offence under sections 153 (A), 295 (A), 298, 504, 505 (1) (b) & (c), 505 (2) of IPC. Similarly, the statements attributed to Owaisi also tantamount to same offence. The complainant called the statement ''extremely serious and sensitive.''
Thakur's counsel Tripuresh Tripathi prayed for summoning the two accused in the Court to punish them. Raut had written that Muslims' voting rights should be withdrawn to put an end to vote bank politics. The Sena leader has also called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi, a threat to the nation.
“Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,'' he said. Owaisi, the 45-year-old lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, had also demanded reservation for backward Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra.