Delhi Police have registered a case after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad reported vandalism at his Delhi house. Some activists had put up posters saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and other slogans outside the residence at 34 Ashoka Road at around 9 pm on 27th June. They also allegedly smeared black ink on the nameplate, protesting against his pro-Palestine slogan in the Lok Sabha.
A First Information Report has been lodged at the Parliament Street Police station and sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 153A (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked against the accused. The cops are presently going over CCTV videos to identify the suspects.
The parliamentarian took to social media to condemn the incident and shared visuals of the vandalism. He challenged the offenders to confront him directly and referred to their actions as “Savarkar-type cowardly behaviour.” He told them to stop resorting to such tactics and not flee after hurling some ink or a few stones. He also attacked the authorities as well as dragged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla into the matter stating, “I have now lost count of the number of times my Delhi residence has been targeted. When I asked Delhi Police officials how this was happening right under their noses, they expressed helplessness. Amit Shah this is happening under your oversight. Om Birla please tell us if MPs’ safety will be guaranteed or not.”
A group of five men showed up at Asaduddin Owaisi’s home in Central Delhi on 27 June evening. They put up three posters calling for his removal from the Lok Sabha on the walls and the front gate. Slogans like “I stand with Israel,” “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Owaisi should be suspended” were printed on the posters. One of the individuals, referencing the MP’s divisive remarks, advocated for youngsters to unite against him in a video that came to light on social media. The group of men also raised “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shri Ram slogans” outside the MPs house.
“We have done this and 140 crore people in the country should do the same. Strict action should be taken against MPs and MLAs who refrain from saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, including Owaisi,” a man said during the protest. They left the site when the Delhi Police swiftly intervened and took down the posters. The protest was in response to Owaisi chanting a pro-Palestine slogan in Lok Sabha.
On 25th June AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised the “Jai Palestine” (hail Palestine) slogan after taking the oath of office as a fifth-time member of the Lok Sabha. He declared, “Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine, Takbeer Allah-u-Akbar” after his oath. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the chair at the time reassured the members that anything other than the oath would not be recorded as the treasury benches caused an uproar. All of the newly elected MPs’ slogans during the oath-taking ceremony, according to pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab would not be recorded and would instead be obliterated. His remarks were later expunged from Parliament records.
A complaint was then filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Shobha Karandlaje who requested that his speech be taken out of the parliamentary record and that he retake his oath without using the inflammatory slogan, in a letter to the Speaker and the Home Minister. However, he defended his slogan and claimed that he would continue to speak for the marginalised people of the nation.