All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is ready to take on the district administration if they did not permit them to hold a rally in lucknow on May 17. Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi is scheduled to participate in the rally.
On Saturday, AIMIM state unit president Shaukat Ali said in lucknow, “Permission or not, Owaisi will come to UP and will meet the local people and try to know their problems. If the lucknow administration gives us permission to hold a public meeting, then Owaisi will return the same day.”
‘In case the district authorities denies us the permission to hold the meeting, then Qwaisi will stay for two days and visit other districts to register our protest,” said Ali.
He informed that the party has duly approached the administration seeking permission for a public meeting at Refah-e-Aam Club ground of lucknow on March 17. “We have submitted our application three days ago, but are yet to receive a confirmation. We are not bothered about the outcome as Owaisi will come here in any case,” Ali added.
The AIMIM has been upbeat with their performance in the Bikapur Assembly by-poll, where the outfit’s candidate came fourth after SP, RlD and BJP candidates.
Ali argued that there is little time left for the 2017 Assembly polls and hence the outfit can not waste waiting for permission. He said that the state unit has drawn up a plan for Owaisi’s visit.
Besides addressing the meeting in lucknow, Owaisi will visit Islamic seminary Nadwatul Uloom and Dargah of Haji Waris Ali Shah in Dewa (Barabanki). The next day, Owisi will visit districts of eastern UP.
In the last 18 months, district authorities have prevented the AIMIM from holding meetings on at least 12 occasions in Allahabad, Agra, Azamgarh and other sensitive places. But ahead of the Bikapur Assembly bypolls, Owaisi addressed two election meetings in February last thus ending its undeclared ban by the ruling Samajwadi Party. The party had also approached the Allahabad High Court describing the decision of these district authorities on denying permission for meetings as ‘politically motivated’.