New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made an appeal to AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, for accepting the ‘Z Category Security.’ ‘Z’ category security cover from the central government is being offered to him after shots were fired at his car last week while he was returning from campaigning for this month’s Uttar Pradesh election.
“There is a threat to Owaisi’s security… the government has decided to provide ‘Z’ category security (with a bullet-proof) car but Owaisi has refused. I request, through the members of the House, that he accept this cover,” Mr Shah told Parliament.
“Two unidentified people fired on the motorcade. He (Mr Owaisi) came out safe but there were three bullet marks on (the) lower sections of his vehicle. The incident was witnessed by three witnesses and a First Information Report, or FIR, has been registered,” the Home Minister said.
The minister said two people had been arrested so far and police had recovered two pistols and also seized a Maruti Alto car. “The accused are being interrogated… police have visited the spot,” Mr Shah said, underlining, ahead of elections in the state, that “law and order is under control in UP”.
“Owaisi had no prescheduled event in Hapur district… no information about his movement was sent to District Control Room beforehand,” he said.
On his appeal Owaisi says that he does not want security. referring to the controversial anti-terror law used extensively and disproportionately against Muslims (according to critics) by BJP-led governments, he asked, “I don’t want ‘Z’ category security. I want to be an A-category citizen. Why was UAPA not invoked against those who fired at me?”
“I want to live, to speak. My life will be safe when the poor are safe. I will not get scared of those who shot at my car,” Mr Owaisi said in Parliament last week.
The government decided to provide Mr Owaisi with ‘Z’ category security – which involves round-the-clock protection by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos – after reviewing the threat level following last week’s attack, which came just a week ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh.
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