Telangana BJP on Wednesday launched a signature campaign at Dilsukh Nagar in Hyderabad against terrorism and demanded the arrest of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi who has been booked for sedition over his statement that he would extend legal aid to five persons arrested by NIA for allegedly being part of an IS module.

Telangana unit BJP president and MLA K Laxman and senior party leaders addressed the gathering in the area.

Sources said the party expects to collect one lakh signatures.

A case of sedition under section 124A of IPC was registered against the Hyderabad MP by Saroor Nagar police here on July 15 in a court referred matter following a private complaint filed by a practising advocate K Karuna Sagar.

Sagar had stated in his complaint that "the stand of Owaisi and his remarks is boosting the morale of anti-nationals and giving oxygen to terrorists. Owaisi is directly or indirectly helping the ISIS which had come up with a video in which it threatened to target India and this is betrayal of the country."

In the complaint, he further claimed "the revelations of the arrested accused to carry out terror attacks on police stations, religious places, prominent persons from right wing organisations is shocking." 

The conspiracy has been foiled. But, Asaduddin Owaisi talks of providing legal aid to five IS suspects arrested by the NIA amounts to treason, promotes terrorism and further the remarks of Owaisi has boosted the morale of anti-nationals, the complainant alleged and had sought to take appropriate legal action against Asaduddin.

The NIA had arrested five persons and detained six others, including a techie, after conducting searches at different locations in the old city last month.

Also read: An Iftar with the Owaisis: Why the Majlis wants to give legal aid to Hyderabad’s ISIS suspects