Asaduddin Owaisi during his election campaign in Dasna in Ghaziabad on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.
Highlights
- Two people have been arrested for firing at Owaisi's car when he was returning to Delhi from Meerut.
- Visuals show two bullet holes on his car while the third bullet hit a tyre. Owaisi escaped unhurt.
- Owaisi is a Lok Sabha MP Hyderabad. He heads AIMIM which is contesting polls on nearly 100 seats.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been accorded the 'Z' category security cover a day after shots were fired at his car near Delhi, news agency ANI reported. It said that the Centre reviewed the security of the Hyderabad MP and decided to accord 'Z' category security of the CRPF with immediate effect, reliable sources said.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Owaisi's car was fired upon in Hapur when he was returning to Delhi after attending election events in Meerut. Owaisi's vehicle was near the Chhijarsi toll plaza on the Hapur-Ghaziabad stretch of the National Highway 24 when the incident took place at around 6 pm. Owaisi had left Delhi in the morning for election-related programmes in Meerut and Kithore, where he held door-to-door campaigns for party's candidates.
Owaisi said that he escaped unhurt and urged the Election Commission to ensure an independent probe into the incident.
“Some time ago, my car was fired near Chhijarsi toll gate. Four rounds of shots were fired. There were 3-4 people, all of them ran away and left the weapons there. My car got punctured, but I moved to another car and left. We are all safe. Alhamdu'lilah,” Owaisi tweeted in Hindi soon after the attack last evening. His convoy had four cars, according to the MP.
According to police, two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. "Two persons have been arrested for firing on AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi's convoy while he was returning to Delhi after campaigning in Uttar Pradesh. The investigation is underway," Superintendent of Police Hapur, Deepak Bhuker said.
Elections are scheduled for February 10 in 58 assembly constituencies across 11 districts of western Uttar Pradesh, where polls will be held in seven phases. The AIMIM is contesting polls on nearly 100 of 403 Assembly seats in the state under the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha alliance -- a conglomeration of smaller parties.
READ MORE: Two held for firing at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's convoy in UP
