MIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi can't enter Bengaluru

MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has been served a notice again by the Bengaluru Police banning his entry into the city for the duration of five days – April 24 to 28. Even the Uttar Pradesh government declined permission for the MIM to schedule a rally on April 26 in Allahabad.

On April 25, the MIM had decided to hold a public meeting in Bengaluru at Chota Maidan at Shivaji Nagar that was to be addressed by Mr Owaisi but the Police Commissioner of Bengaluru denied the permission for the meeting and served a notice to the MP from entering the city.

The Police Commissioner of Bengaluru had earlier served the same notice to Mr Owaisi prohibiting his entry for two weeks in February this year. Even after the notice, Mr Owaisi said that since it interfered with the right of freedom of expression under Article 25 of the Constitution, he would challenge the notice in the Court of Law.

Lamenting over the notice being used as a convenient option to stop his party from strengthening its base in Bengaluru, before the Bengaluru Municipal elections, Mr Owaisi said that MIM even though was granted permission for conducting a rally in Allahabad and Agra, later citing board examination as a reason, the permission was cancelled.

He added that despite the permission being denied, the Allahabad High Court directed the District Magistrate to grant permission for the rally and has been rescheduled to April 26.