Owaisi warns Karnataka Congress: 'You cannot stop me'

  All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi blamed the state Congress government for denying him permission to address a public meeting in Bengaluru. Owaisi was given conditional permission by the Returning Officer to hold a public meeting in Shivajinagar on Tuesday, however, the decision was reversed in the last moment after the police refused to give permission citing to law and order issues. AIMIM which is contesting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections was banking on its chief’s popularity to make a breakthrough in the elections. This is the third time that Owaisi has been prevented from holding public rallies in the city since February 2015. Owaisi then held a press conference on Friday where he accused the Congress party of using the police machinery to prevent him holding public gatherings in the city. “When the election commission has given permission, why not the police?” He claimed that he was denied permission because he had spoken about Yakub Memon, and “the ambers will flare up” as a result of this. He said that AIMIM was going to contest more assembly seats in the state and had identified six such seats for the next state election, for which they had already begun preparations. He was extremely critical of the Congress government stating that their “corruption stories are legendary” and the party in the state is “drunk in arrogance”. “My fight is with the party. With the wrong steps that is being taken. They need to remember that power is not eternal,” he said. Owaisi accused the Congress of being against for Freedom of Speech and Expression. “I can speak in Parliament, but why cannot I speak on the streets of Bengaluru?” he asked. “AIMIM is a registered political party. Since February I have been denied permission to the city. Is law and order so bad? This is a lame excuse by the Congress government and it shows that they are weak,” he lashed out against the government. He further added that he was ready to face arrest if he crossed the limits in his speeches. Stressing on the need for Bengaluru’s growth for the nation to grow, Owaisi said that the “ruling party had completely failed and betrayed people”. He touched upon the issues of water, power, garbage menace, increasing child sexual abuse in the city and the poor conditions of the roads.  “Tax revenue has increased, but in return nothing has happened to improve condition,” he said. The AIMIM is contesting from a total of 29 wards for the upcoming BBMP elections, and Owaisi said that the party was not just focusing on Muslim vote bank, but even that of Dalit and OBCs. “The party won’t create in any religious polarisation, instead we will focus on problems in the ward and corruption.” Owaisi said that he will never contest elections from Bhatkal, not because of the terror tag it has been accused of, because there is a set-up of community elders which is sufficient to maintain the balance and he don’t want to disturb them. “Whenever there is any issue to be raised, I will fight for them more than an elected representative,” he said.