The Uttar Pradesh police have booked AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for allegedly vitiating communal harmony, violating COVID-19 norms and making "indecent" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, police said on Friday, September 9. The FIR against the All India Majlis-e-Itthehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief was registered Thursday night at Barabanki city police station after his party's rally.

IPC (Indian Penal Code) sections 153A (promoting enmity on ground of religion, race etc.), 188 (disregarding order of a public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease) and relevant sections of the Epidemic Disease have been slapped against Owaisi, Superintendent of Police, Barabanki, Yamuna Prasad said. He said the Hyderabad MP violated COVID-19 guidelines – on masking and social distancing – by arranging huge crowds at the party rally at Katra Chandana on Thursday. 

"In his speech, the AIMIM chief made statements for vitiating communal harmony and said the 100-year-old Ram Sanehi Ghat mosque was razed by the administration and its debris was also removed. This is contrary to the fact," the SP said. "By this statement, Owaisi tried to vitiate communal harmony and incite feelings of a particular community. He also made indecent and baseless remarks against the PM and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister," he said.

Owaisi was on a three-day trip to Uttar Pradesh, where his party plans to contest 100 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls. In a scathing attack on PM Modi, Owaisi had Thursday alleged there have been efforts to turn the country into a "Hindu Rashtra" since he came to power seven years back. Referring to the law against instant triple talaq, the Hyderabad MP also mentioned the "plight" of women abandoned by their husbands, while directing a barb at Modi. 

"Ever since Narendra Modi became prime minister, efforts are on to demolish secularism and make the country a Hindu Rashtra," he had said. Criticising the triple talaq law, Owaisi said, "BJP leaders talk about injustice against Muslim women subject to talaq but remain mum on the issue of the plight of women abandoned by their husbands … What about my bhabhi (PM Modi's wife) who lives alone?”