Permission for Owaisi: HC orders notice to government

The High Court on Monday ordered notice to the State government and others in a petition filed by All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seeking direction to allow Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and three others to participate in BBMP election campaign. 

The AIMIM has challenged the order of the City Police Commissioner banning the entry of Owaisi and three other leaders into City.  Owaisi is scheduled to attend an election campaign at Chota Maidan in Shivajinagar on Tuesday.

During the hearing, the counsel for Owaisi said that he (Owaisi) being an elected representative was being denied permission to enter the City for the fourth time.

The government counsel said that the police commissioner, in his order, had stated that incendiary messages were being circulated on social media ever since the hanging of Yakub Memon and this had led to disharmony in society. Defending the refusal of permission, the government advocate submitted that the venue of election rally was close to religious places and just four kilometres from Vidhana Soudha and High Court.  

“The government has produced sufficient records of how Owaisi's speeches have caused disharmony. He has been banned from entering the City to maintain secular fabric of the City,” the counsel submitted. Justice A S Bopanna adjourned the hearing to Tuesday, while ordering notice to the State government, State Election Commission, commissioner of police and BBMP.

‘Assess competency’
The High Court has directed the principal secretary to Revenue department to assess the competency of second division assistants and first division assistants before promoting them.
While hearing a petition about misdeeds of a deputy tahsildar in Begur hobli, Justice Ram Mohan Reddy observed that certain entries in revenue records were vague and the principal secretary to the Revenue department should look in to promoting such persons to avoid blunders.