Asaduddin Owaisi's Mumbai rally organisers booked for flouting COVID norms

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has registered an FIR against the organisers of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's rally held here the day before for allegedly violating COVID-19 norms and defying section 144 of CrPC, an official said on Sunday.

The FIR registered by Sakinaka Police on Saturday late night named Sabre Alam and four others, all activists of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen. The case was registered against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 188 (disobeying the order promulgated by public servant), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and provisions of the Disaster Management Act, he said.

Mumbai Police had imposed section 144 of Crpc over the weekend prohibiting the gathering of more than four persons apparently in view of the new Omicron variant cases coming to the fore.

The rally, held in Chandivali ahead of civic polls in Mumbai and other cities, was attended by thousands of people including AIMIM activists, who had travelled from Aurangabad in Marathwada led by the party MP Imtiyaz Jaleel.

Owaisi had accused the ruling Congress and NCP of failing to implement a 5 per cent quota for Muslims in jobs and education. He had also appealed to Muslims to shun "political secularism."