The City Police Commissioner has banned Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi from addressing a political rally scheduled on 21 February in Bengaluru.
The Shivajinagar area, where the rally is planned to take place, is said to be communally vulnerable as there had been several cases of communal conflicts in the past.
Owaisi, an MP from Hyderabad, has been banned from entering the police commissionerate limits of the city between 19 and 25 February as his inflammatory speech might disturb the communal harmony.
The prohibitory order imposed by Commissioner MN Reddi has also banned audio or video transmission of his message.
Known for making hate speeches in different parts of the country, Owaisi is reportedly upset with the ban imposed on him and said that he would challenge the matter in the court.
The ban has come two weeks after VHP leader Praveen Togadia was banned from participating in a Hindu gathering to avoid social unrest.
According to the reports of India Today, the police said that they did not wish to keep any possibility of communal strife in the city, whose demography consists of people from various cultural backgrounds.
"The city (Bengaluru), being the capital of the state, is affected by such incidents. In spite of the strong resentment against his provocative, inflammatory speeches from the learned public throughout the country, Owaisi continues to make speeches and hurt the religious sentiments of other communities while provoking religious fundamentalism. His speeches, at many places, have led to communal disturbances," the police stated in the ban order.
