MIM: MIM's Bengaluru meet was cancelled

HYDERABAD:
Days after granting permission to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen to hold a public meeting, the Bengaluru city police revoked it, interestingly, on the grounds that it did not have adequate manpower to provide security at the event.

Sources from MIM said that in the run up to the Bengaluru's civic polls, that of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, likely to be held in April, the party had planned the meeting on February 8 at the Chota Maidan in Shivaji Nagar.

While an application for permission was sought on January 9, it was granted on January 16 only to be being cancelled on Friday."A letter was received from the Commerical Street police station in which we were asked to postpone the meeting. In our reply we stated that all preparations were made and sought the cooperation of cops. Subsequently, the permission was cancelled," a source who did not wish to be identified said.

According to the party's estimates, a lakh people were expected at the meeting, he added.When contacted, MIM president, Asaduddin Owaisi, criticised the Karnataka government for trying to prevent the party from entering the state.

Owaisi said that being unable to provide bandobast reflects poorly on the Karnataka government. He also said that his freedom of speech was being stifled. "How can they first give permission and then say that bandobast cannot be provided? The state government is trying to muzzle us. But they are only strengthening our resolve.

We will take legal action and a case will be filed in a couple of days," Owaisi said. He also alleged that police had "illegally confined" the organiser for two hours. "The cops tried to coerce him to withdraw the meeting," he added.Other party sources said that MIM Malakpet legislator Ahmed bin Abdullah Balala has been sent to Bengaluru to assess the situation and explore legal recourse.