Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said his brother and party MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi will surrender before the Hyderabad police under charges of making "hate speech" against the Hindu community.
My brother will not run away from the law," Asaduddin Owaisi told NDTV following a public meeting in the municipal town of Tandur.
Akbaruddin, who is currently in London for medical treatment, faced the wrath of the law for delivering an inflammatory speech at a public event in Adilabad on Dec 24. His statements that called "100 crore Hindus to a duel with 25 crore Muslims" and his ambition to eradicate the community asserted an intent to arouse communal tensions.
Taking the law into their own hands, police filed two FIRs against Akbaruddin and booked him under section 121 of the IPC (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Union) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups). The MLA was also booked under 153 (wantonly provoking with intent to cause riot), and 295-A (maliciously insulting religious beliefs of any class)," for making communal remarks in Nizamabad on Dec 8.
Reports said that the MLA may return to India around Jan 16 and he is summoned to appear before court on Jan 24 over the charges against him. Director general of police V Dinesh Reddy said Interpol's assistance will be taken to take him into custody.
Objecting the government's decision to arrest Akbaruddin, an MIM leader said, "Akbar Owaisi is a public representative and not a hardcore criminal as the government is trying to project him," reported IANS.
