The war of words between the police and the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party workers intensified after the latter denied that stones were pelted at the Vande Bharat train in which Asaduddin Owaisi was travelling in poll-bound Gujarat. The police, however, said a probe was on into the incident which took place on Monday.
On Tuesday, Superintendent of Police, Western Railway, Rajesh Parmar said some "grit" hit the train's glass window due to engineering work underway on the track near Ankleshwar in Bharuch district where the alleged incident took place. "It was not a case of stone-pelting," the official said, adding that Owaisi was sitting away from the window.
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AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan said the incident took place before the train reached Surat on Monday evening where Owaisi, the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, was scheduled to attend a public rally as part of his election campaigning in the state, where the Assembly polls are scheduled on December 1 and 5. Pathan also said he has some photographs to prove his claim.
"Asaduddin Owaisi Saheb, Sabir Kabliwala sir, me and the team of AIMIM were traveling in the Vande Bharat Express train from Ahmedabad to Surat when some unidentified persons pelted stones at the train and broke its glass," he claimed.
The cracked window was changed, and an officer of the level of deputy superintendent of police (DySP) was conducting a probe into the incident, he said.
However, Pathan claimed two stones were thrown one after the other. "It was a heavy stone that cracked the window glass. In another 10-15 seconds, another stone landed. Do whatever, throw a stone, spray fire, but the voice of right will not stop," he said, adding that he has the proof of the incident in the form of photographs.
