<p>An alleged bootlegger identified as Tanzeem Abbas, on posing as Union minister, was provided an escort from local police when he went to attend a function here.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“We received the order to provide an escort to Abbas through a fax on Sunday,” Superintendent of Police Traffic (Meerut) P K Tiwari said on Tuesday. Tiwari said the escort was promptly withdrawn on Monday after his true identity came to light.<br />Local BJP leaders had pointed out that Abbas, a resident of Falawada, was not a minister that had the privilege of enjoying the police escort protocol. <br /><br />They also informed senior state and central party leaders about the issue and BJP Minority Cell Convener Kuwar Basit Ali filed an FIR at the Falawada police station.<br /><br />Abbas, however, maintained that he is the “chairman” of the Higher Education Board under the Human Resource Development Ministry, which he said had given him the rank and status of a Union minister and thereby the privilege of being escorted by police.<br />Abbas had been sent to jail on June 18 in a case involving the smuggling of liquor worth Rs 25 lakh, Falawada police station in-charge Abdul Wasim Khan said. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai demanded an enquiry against officials who provided the impostor an escort.<br /></p>
<p>An alleged bootlegger identified as Tanzeem Abbas, on posing as Union minister, was provided an escort from local police when he went to attend a function here.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“We received the order to provide an escort to Abbas through a fax on Sunday,” Superintendent of Police Traffic (Meerut) P K Tiwari said on Tuesday. Tiwari said the escort was promptly withdrawn on Monday after his true identity came to light.<br />Local BJP leaders had pointed out that Abbas, a resident of Falawada, was not a minister that had the privilege of enjoying the police escort protocol. <br /><br />They also informed senior state and central party leaders about the issue and BJP Minority Cell Convener Kuwar Basit Ali filed an FIR at the Falawada police station.<br /><br />Abbas, however, maintained that he is the “chairman” of the Higher Education Board under the Human Resource Development Ministry, which he said had given him the rank and status of a Union minister and thereby the privilege of being escorted by police.<br />Abbas had been sent to jail on June 18 in a case involving the smuggling of liquor worth Rs 25 lakh, Falawada police station in-charge Abdul Wasim Khan said. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai demanded an enquiry against officials who provided the impostor an escort.<br /></p>