Why are you in Old City, Owaisi asks Congress leaders

Hyderabad: Police on Tuesday arrested MIM senior leader and Charminar MLA Ahmed Pasha Quadri for attacking Congress candidate and two-time corporator Mr Mohammed Gouse at Ghansi Bazaar. MIM leader and Malakpet MLA Ahmed Balala  was also arrested by the police.

MIM workers lead by party supremo Asaduddin Owaisi stopped vehicles of Mr Shabbir, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr Ram Mohan Reddy at Mirchowk and attacked them. Few workers were seen forcefully opening the Congress leaders’ cars and repeatedly kicking them and punching them.

Two MIM activists pushed the windshields of the vehicles till they were damaged. Leader of Opposition Shabbir Ali sustained an injury under in his right eye in the attack.

A group of MIM workers allegedly lead by Mr Balala confronted MBT leader Amjadullah Khan and brutally attacked him near Mumtaz College. Mr Khan was shifted to a corporate hospital after susta-ining injuries on his face.

Mr Khan alleged that Mr Balala had assaulted him with the butt of a revolver. Another group of MIM workers got into a scuffle with BJP workers near one of the polling booths at Langar Houz.

The attacks started following an incident at the Ghanzi Bazaar ward when an argument broke out between Congress candidate Mr Gouse and Charminar MLA Quadri.

Mr Gouse, who had recently switched over to Congress from MIM, was threatened and attacked by Mr Quadri and his men.

The South Zone police soon swung into action and took the leaders of both parties inside the local ACP’s office, eyewitnesses said.

Congress leaders came to know of the incident and went to the ACP’s office to release Mr Gouse. While they were returning via Mirchowk, Mr Owaisi and his men, who were on bikes, stopped the vehicles.

“Asaduddin asked the Congress leaders ‘Why are you roaming in Old City? You are not contesting from here’. The Congress leaders retaliated saying it was none of his business. The MIM workers then started abusing and attacking the leaders,” said another witness.

“The Congress leaders came there to provoke us. They wanted to create tension in the Old City, that was why they came to Mirchowk,” said MIM leader Shahbaz Khan.

Men lead by MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi allegedly attacked a BJP activist, leading to tension in the Falaknuma-Chatrinaka area. More than 1,000 people gathered at Falaknuma to retaliate at night and BJP workers pelted stones.

However, the situation was controlled after a large paramilitary force was deployed in the area. MIM workers also attacked a journalist working with the daily Siasat. The victim Mubashir Kurram sustained injuries on his legs.