A video shared on social media by the AlMIM shows a glimpse into how Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s Delhi residence was vandalised by Hindu Sena members who were later arrested by the police. The video, which was shot by Hindu Sena members, shows around five-six people standing outside Owaisi’s residence at 34, Ashoka Road, in New Delhi, some wearing saffron scarves, and one by one, they walk up to the gate and vandalise it.
Though the 44-second video is a little blurry, it shows the Hindu Sena members armed with axes and sticks standing outside the MP’s home. One person walks up, dislodges the MP’s name plate and throws it to the ground. A man walks up to the other end of the gate and tries to smash the board showing the house number with an axe. They continue to strike at the gates multiple times. Another man is seen running up and hurling what looks like a stone over the wall into the residence. This continues for the remainder of the video.
The attack on Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi's house was a cowardly action by the RSS, BJP, and other fascists. Mr. Owaisi is a prominent figure in Indian democratic politics. In Delhi, there is no such thing as law and order.
— Luqman Nadwi (@nadwi_luqman) September 21, 2021
Shame on Delhi Police,Shah&Modi have damaged everything. pic.twitter.com/G2RQ4KhPnI
In another video also shared on social media, a man identifies himself as Lalit Kumar, the state president of Hindu Sena, and calls Owaisi a “jihadi” and says that they have come to his home to “teach him a lesson.” Kumar claims in the video that Owaisi “only speaks wrong against Hindus at every rally and programme,” and that even his brother, Akbaruddin Owaisi, makes such statements. “If he (Akbaruddin Owaisi) can stand there and threaten 100 crore people, then six-seven of us can also teach him a lesson,” Lalit Kumar says in the video, showing the others standing around him.
Hours after the attack, Owaisi shared pictures of the vandalism at his Delhi residence and said that while he was not at home, the caretaker of his house, Raju, was also assaulted and that he has filed a complaint.
आज कुछ उग्रवादी गुंडों ने मेरे दिल्ली के मकान पर तोड़-फोड़ की।इनकी बुज़दिली के चर्चे तो वैसे ही आम हैं।हमेशा की तरह, इनकी वीरता सिर्फ़ झुंड में ही दिखाई देती है।वक्त भी ऐसा चुना जब मैं घर पर नहीं था। गुंडों के हाथों में कुल्हाड़ियाँ और लकड़ियाँ थीं, घर पर पत्थर बाज़ी की गयी। 1/n pic.twitter.com/bwIAdnt43S
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) September 21, 2021
Based on his complaint, the Delhi police have arrested five people and a case has been lodged. It was not immediately clear whether the people seen in the video are the ones who have been arrested. The police said that those arrested are from northeast Delhi, and that they vandalised the back gate of Owaisi's residence.
Screengrab of video by Lalit Kumar of the Hindu Sena
The accused have been booked under sections 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at the Parliament Street police station.
Owaisi took to Twitter to say that this was not the first time his home has been attacked. "This is the third time that my residence has been attacked. Last time, it was vandalised, Rajnath Singh was not only the Home Minister but also my neighbour. Election Commission HQ is right next door to my house, Parliament Street police station is right across my house. The Prime Minister's residence is 8 minutes away. If an MP's house is not safe, then what message is Amit Shah sending?" he asked.
Speaking to TNM late on Tuesday night, Owaisi spoke about what he thought may have prompted the attack. "The whole political ecosystem is full of bigotry and hatred and these people get emboldened and do these things. The issue is that if an MP's house can be targeted and vandalised today, they can go one step further tomorrow. These are not fringe elements, they are the main elements of the Hindutva brigade,” he said.