The Allahabad High Court today granted three weeks' time to the Uttar Pradesh government for filing a detailed counter-affidavit explaining reasons behind its refusal of permission to AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for holding a public rally in Allahabad.
A division bench comprising justices Rakesh Tiwari and Mukhtar Ahmad passed the order, expressing dissatisfaction over a short affidavit filed on behalf of the state's Chief Standing Counsel in which it was merely stated that "permission was refused by the state government" for Owaisi's rally in the city scheduled for March 15 last.
The court pointed out that on July 20, the previous date of hearing, it had directed the state government to produce material "on the basis of which the permission of the petitioner to hold meeting of his party has been cancelled".
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The order was passed on a petition filed by AIMIM's city convenor Afsar Mahmood, who has alleged that the district administration had initially granted permission but it was later cancelled on March 9 on instructions from Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and UP minister Azam Khan.
Both the SP leaders have been named as parties in the petition.
According to Mahmood's counsel Rizwan Qureshi "today we also contest the state government's allegation that Owaisi, who is a Lok Sabha member, delivers hate speeches.
"We cited the example of the neighbouring state of Bihar where the AIMIM chief yesterday held a huge rally in Kishanganj district which went off peacefully and from where no reports of any inflammatory remarks have emerged".
