Owaisi slams TMC govt for not allowing his rally in Kolkata

Hyderabad, Feb 25: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday blasted the Kolkata Police for ''denying'' permission for his rally in the poll-bound West Bengal capital and mocked at ruling TMC MPs for talking about democracy in Parliament.

The Hyderabad MP, whose party has decided to contest the polls in the eastern state, claimed permission was denied for the rally scheduled for Thursday without assigning any reason. "You (Trinamool Congress Government) allow (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah to hold a public rally. You allow BJP to hold public rallies. Congress and Left hold rallies. But not MIM. Why?..." he asked.

Talking to reporters here, he said the TMC MPs in Parliament use ''flowery'' terms such as democracy and freedom of speech, but it doesnot reflect at the ground level in West Bengal.

Once the Code of Conduct for the polls likely in April- May comes into force, AIMIM would be compelled to approach the Election Commission, against the continuation of the police officer (who rejected permission) in the same post, he added.

"If the officer is there, the elections will not be free and fair," he contended, a day after his party announced the cancellation of the rally citing denial of police permission for it.

He was scheduled to kick off his party''s campaign ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections with the rally in the minority-dominated Metiabruz area of Kolkata.

On possible alliance with with Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui, who had recently floated the Indian Secular Front (ISF), the MIM supremo said they were in discussions with the former.

His party has handed over a list of constituencies which it intends to contest, he said. Replying to query, he said there was a political vacuum in Gujarat and his party will work with Chhotubhai Vasava''s Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) there.