Bombay HC asks cops to act if offence is made out against Owaisi

The Bombay high court has asked the police to consider taking action against All-India-Majlis-E-ittehadul-Muslamin MP Asduddin Owaisi and MLA Waris Pathan, if any offence is made out against them for allegedly saying in public speeches that they will not chant ‘Bharat Mata ki jai.’

A division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a PIL by Hemant Patil who alleged that both Owaisi and Pathan had given public speeches which amounted to spreading communal disharmony.

While hearing the petition, the court came to know that the petitioner had not given any representation to the police station concerned. The court then asked the petitioner to submit all the details and evidence with the police. The court also asked the police department to consider the petitioner’s representation and decide it on its merits and in accordance with the law, within four weeks.

The PIL urged the court to order an inquiry into the speeches made by the duo in the recent past in which they had allegedly showed disrespect to motherland by such remarks.

Such remarks are anti-national and have the tendency to break the social harmony of the society and divide the people on the basis of religion and parochial issues, Mr Patil stated in his petition.

The petition demanded a ban on AIMIM and the PIL cited the speeches given by Owaisi in Latur district and Waris Pathan in the state Assembly. After giving direction to the police, the court disposed of the PIL.